


5,000,000 USD

by hovercraft



Category: Fate/Grand Order, Fate/stay night & Related Fandoms
Genre: Alternate Universe - Sugar Daddy, Angst, Bondage, Bottom Gilgamesh | Archer, Choking, Developing Relationship, Escort Arthur, Escort Service, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Gilgamesh (Fate) Being Gilgamesh (Fate), Implied/Referenced Cheating, Lancelot/Arthur too but it's not the primary focus, M/M, Minor Character Death, NaNoWriMo, NaNoWriMo 2019, Oral Sex, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Rich Brat Gilgamesh, Rimming, Sex Work, Sugar Daddy, Teasing, Vibrators, if you have dreams of gil being your sugar daddy then this fic is for you, nanowrimo winner
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-24
Updated: 2020-05-18
Packaged: 2020-09-25 04:44:31
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 33
Words: 100,023
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20370901
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hovercraft/pseuds/hovercraft
Summary: Arthur is a student from the UK, encumbered by college debt from attending his prestigious dream university. Forced to make a difficult decision, he chooses escort work as a method to pay off his financial burdens, until he catches the eye of rich billionaire heir Gilgamesh. Taking him under his wing out of seemingly nowhere, Gilgamesh pays a stunning 5 million to Arthur's place of work in order to buy his time for the year. When that time is up, Arthur will be finally free to do what he wants with his life.He has to entertain Gilgamesh until then.





	1. Chapter 1

“I want him for the year.”

The establishment was very clean, very pristine, you wouldn’t expect it to be a love hotel with paid escorts. The receptionist looked like any other receptionist, in a pressed pantsuit and smart-looking glasses hiding her shocked expression. Occurrences like this were unheard of; the wealthy elite who frequented these doors preferred to keep their visits sparse and secretive unless of course, they fell in love with an escort. Usually, then, they’d buy them out of the lifestyle as a mistress. What Gilgamesh was suggesting wasn’t that—he’d only slept with Arthur a few times, and now he wanted him for the entire year.

The secretary adjusted her glasses. “You mean you want to have him reserved for whenever you come here?”

“And an exclusivity contract.” Gilgamesh was very firm on that. “I don’t share.”

The man in charge wouldn’t be too happy—Arthur was a bestseller. He brought in hopeless romantics like Lancelot du Lac, a famous novelist, and he brought in the roughest looking people you could possibly imagine—who would grovel at his feet with his favorite white roses for the chance just to hold him for the evening. He brought in bank, and this person…?

“How many zeroes at the end of the check?” Gilgamesh asked, impatiently.

“I—” She began, “I have to talk to my manager.”

“Six zeroes.”

“Pardon…?”

“5,000,000 USD. How does that suit you? I did the math for the time I take up with him a night. That’s graciously rounded up.”

She took the check, shaking, before buzzing the intercom. “Arthur?”

It was a moment before he answered. “Yes?”

“I’m going to need you to sign a contract.”

Arthur sounded confused. “What do you mean…?”

\--

He was surprised to see Gilgamesh there but offered a princely smile all the same. He assumed this was going to be something like what the high-class escorts got: a contract to go with him as arm candy somewhere and he needed to sign some kind of liability waiver. He was stunned to find out he’d been bought out for an entire year.

“You mean, every hour I work is…”

“It’s all Gilgamesh’s time,” Said the secretary, ironing out the details on her computer before printing the paper. His boss loomed over his shoulder, pleased as punch with the current turn of events. He wouldn’t be giving up one of his favorite escorts, but he would be making him work for one person only. “And with the fees you pay to our employer as part of your contract, what you make of it at the end is…”

The secretary pushed the paper towards Arthur, who couldn’t help but stare jaw-dropped at the number. That was enough to pay off his student loans and buy a house! He could quit immediately! … or he would if he wasn’t bound to his contract for an entire year.

He looked over at Gilgamesh, who flashed him a smirk. This was a man who threw around money like it was nothing, and he wanted Arthur enough to shell out _five million dollars_ for him for a single year. Arthur’s brain was abuzz—what had he done that was so special? He’d fucked him like he fucked all his clients, and sure, Arthur had a talent for it, but was it five million dollars worth of talent? What was he going to tell his other clients? Lancelot was practically in love with him, and Gawain—well, Gawain would be disappointed for sure, but… Arthur had taken this job after school debt had crushed all hope, and he currently worked at an unpaid internship to get a chance at a good job.

“So even when he’s not here, I—”

“—wait to see if he shows up for the night. You are in an exclusive contract. No other clients and no romantic partners. Strictly business. There’ll probably be nights where you’re alone in your room for the entire evening, but you’ll always have to be ready for when Gilgamesh comes to collect.”

No romantic partners… well, Arthur wasn’t really looking, and this contract was a lifesaver. He dreamed of a debt-free bank account since taking this job, and it paid really well. He was lucky to get in with a cleanly, professional place, but he’d be lying if he said it wasn’t draining. He thought it was proper to pick his jaw up off the floor before turning to Gilgamesh with a soft smile.

“It’s an honor to be working to serve you. I am truly in your debt.”

“Debt? Hah! You’ll be paying me back in full. Don’t think I’m not going to put you to work, Pendragon.”

So it was going to be like that. He would be servicing a rich young brat for an entire year’s worth of sex and whatever carnality he demanded. Arthur had a list of things he would and wouldn’t do, and it was accepted easily—it seemed all Gilgamesh wanted out of Arthur was sex and the ability to carry him around as arm candy. It seemed really childish at the time, and it truly was, but one of Arthur’s first thoughts was ‘I can finally afford to buy a PS4’.

As well as whatever he damn well pleased.

Once the check was processed and Arthur could feel the invisible golden cuffs latch around his wrists, Gilgamesh picked up a briefcase next to him and put an arm around Arthur’s waist, lifting up his shirt slightly and pinching his skin playfully. Arthur jolted, suddenly hyperaware of how he had to impress this client from here on out. His ‘client’. Arthur couldn’t afford to think of him as just ‘Gilgamesh’. If he was going to make it through the year, it’d be by telling himself that this was work and work only. That didn’t mean he wasn’t going to act every part the prince.

\--

When they made it back to Arthur’s designated room, tidy and neat, just how Arthur kept it, Gilgamesh set the suitcase on the bed and unclasped the latches, opening it as Arthur peeked over his shoulder. Inside was a sheer garment that could hardly be called such, studded with jewels in the shape of snowflakes and a silver-blue ribbon under the bust of it. This was a gift, and a pricey one at that. He’d had clients give him lingerie before, but never so expensive looking.

“Put it on,” Gilgamesh ordered, tossing him the thing like it wasn’t worth more than Arthur, currently. “And these garter belts, and these thigh highs…”

It was mid-winter at the time, so the outfit felt appropriate. Arthur swallowed as he finished stripping and putting it on, making it a bit of a show for Gilgamesh. He finished by tying the ribbon at the side. It really did feel like he was wearing more than he was worth. Gilgamesh clapped once, admiring the absolute sight of him—Gods, Arthur was beautiful, completely wasted on this escort business. He deserved to be the arm candy of the rich and famous, and he was going to be—if only because Gilgamesh had paid, because in terms like this, Gilgamesh spoke in money. It would be no different even if he wasn't an escort. Buying his time would’ve been easy.

“I’m having them bring up a bottle of champagne for us to celebrate our new arrangement.” Gilgamesh undid the tie around his neck, leaving him just in the gaudy jacket, shirt, and black pants. He wore his hair spiked back, but in the time Arthur knew him, it always came down during sex. “Get on the bed.”

Arthur silently obeyed, stretching himself out so that the lingerie (dubbed in its fashion line as ‘Royal Icing’) covered everything, but just barely. Gilgamesh could hardly contain himself at the sight of him. The doorbell buzzed.

“That should be it.”

\--

The next few hours were a blur. At first, Gilgamesh merely wanted to sit with his arm around him as he drank champagne and talked about his various exploits, all at age 24. Then, he very clearly demanded what he paid Arthur for.

“Leave the outfit on,” Gilgamesh stripped as Arthur worried quietly about jewels falling off during sex. This garment was delicate, after all, but if Gilgamesh had paid for it… Gilgamesh clearly had no trouble giving orders to get what he paid for, either. Arthur was very sincere in all his movements, no doubt what endeared him to his clients. He treated each one of them like he was the boy next door who just happened to be dreamily talented at stretching them out in foreplay before working the head of his cock into them. He never said ‘I love you’ or any roleplay like that, but he never looked away from his face. Gil was loving it.

As Arthur bucked into him, desperately trying to manage the lingerie as he spread Gil’s legs a little wider, as Gil grabbed the back of his hair and dragged him down for a rough and needy kiss. What had made this man fall into obsession with Arthur so quickly? Had he merely looked at him and decided he was the man he wanted? What would happen at the end of the year—would Gilgamesh renew this contract? Thinking this all while fucking him kept him from coming too soon. Gil had already came twice—Arthur’s endurance was that of a champion.

“Come inside me,” Gilgamesh ordered. “Do it.”

_‘I’m wearing a condom, though…’_ Arthur thought despite himself. He wondered if Gilgamesh would start doing away with those in favor of getting barebacked by an escort. Nonetheless, he focused on Gilgamesh’s beautiful, spent face and came. So much of it was backed by relief, that he wouldn’t have to stare down the big numbers in his student debt that he was almost embarrassed that it got him off to think about. Arthur looked down at him with those sweet, loving green eyes and Gilgamesh simply waited for him to withdraw and discard the condom.

“Let’s take a bath together. Clean up.” The jacuzzi in the bathroom would fit them perfectly. Plus, it gave Arthur a chance to give one of his famous massages—which were great with or without sex.

As Arthur ran the bath like a dutiful maid, Gilgamesh tried brushing his hair out of his face and snuck up on Arthur to feel over his muscles. He had never mentioned it before, but he’d seen Arthur at the gym downtown. Shirtless, running on the treadmill, keeping this beautiful body fit for work. All of this—all to himself! That morose author would have to find another muse. As Gilgamesh eased his aching hips into the hot water, followed by Arthur, nothing could be more sublime.

Arthur would scrub him down, wash his hair and rub his back with soap between his fingers. God, it felt so damn good. Arthur’s talents were squandered here, for sure—but as said before, Gilgamesh only knew how to speak with money, and Arthur was very desperate for that. A relationship outside of a client and worker was seemingly impossible.

“I have a yacht party coming up on the 25th,” Gilgamesh leaned back in a purr as Arthur worked on his neck muscles. “I want you to come as my plus one. Naturally, you won’t be telling anyone of your profession. Arm candy only. But don’t you dare let anyone touch you or flirt with you, or flirt back. You still belong to me for the year, so don’t you ever forget that.”

“Of course, sir.”

“Gilgamesh, or just Gil.”

“Are you sure…?”

“I’m going to be calling you Arthur, not ‘whore’ after all.”

Arthur bit back his offense at Gilgamesh’s brutish words, who probably didn’t regard Arthur as anything higher than that. He was raised into a rich family, after all. He had a lot of practice looking down on everyone.

Without thinking, Arthur’s hands skittered over his waist and down to his crotch, thinking he might impress him with his dedication to getting him off, but Gilgamesh merely pressed his back into Arthur’s chest harshly.

“We’ll do that later. I want to rest for now.”

\--

Gilgamesh would certainly keep his promise of putting Arthur to work. Seemingly high on the money he spent, he had Arthur do just about everything to him and then some. So much vigor, Arthur thought to himself as he fucked him for a fifth time. He never really struggled to get it up with Gilgamesh, as he was a bit of an enticing person, if demanding and a bit—no, a lot--rude. He’d better get used to his body, and do his best not to bore him. If this was any indication, they were going to be doing this a lot from now on.

“Ah—”

“What?” Gilgamesh panted as Arthur finished up.

“Time’s up.” Arthur said firmly. The tense reminder that this was still only a client and escort relationship. Arthur had to have time off, after all, he couldn’t be expected to fuck Gil 24/7 and he certainly didn’t have to act like he knew him off the job. He slapped Gilgamesh’s thigh as he pulled off his condom, tied it in a knot and threw it in the bin. Here, he’d take his shower and then get dressed in his plain clothes to get to his somewhat decent apartment downtown. Gilgamesh looked offended.

“I pay five million dollars for you and you call it quits?”

“It’s in the contract you signed,” Arthur said, sighing. “I have to have time off from work, it’s a job after all.”

Just a job.

Gilgamesh looked annoyed but pushed into the shower with Arthur to clean up anyway, which Arthur just tenuously allowed. He realized that this Arthur of his was still _not_ his—he only belonged to him in writing. As they got dressed, Gilgamesh looked over Arthur’s plainclothes with some disgust. They looked like you could get them at any store, or worse yet, a garage sale. Just earlier, he’d been wearing _the _Royal Icing! As Arthur offered to walk him to the parking garage, Gilgamesh stopped and paused at Arthur’s car.

“It’s hideous.” He marveled.

“It’s mine,” Arthur said, simply.

“No… no no no. I’m not letting you drive around in that. How will it reflect on me when you’re making house calls or meeting me somewhere? You’re coming with me to the dealership. Get in your car and follow mine.”

“Wh—”

“Now.”

Arthur could do nothing but oblige, and that’s how he ended up at a car dealership twenty minutes after opening in the early dawn, staring down a Porsche.

“Well? It suits you perfectly.” Gilgamesh looked proud of himself for being the one to pick out the car, rather than Arthur. It was a beautiful shade of silver and when Arthur got into it, he felt like he was in the height of luxury itself, but it didn’t even come close to comparing to Gilgamesh’s imported car. Arthur traded in his old Dodge Neon for chump change and Gilgamesh paid for the rest of the car without even hesitating. This was how much Gilgamesh thought he was worth? What was next, a penthouse?

“This is where we part ways, Pendragon. I trust you know how to get home from here?”

It was a rich neighborhood Arthur wasn’t accustomed to, but he understood. “I got it. Thank you… so much, so so—”

“Spare me the thanks. It’s just to make sure you don’t embarrass me.”

Arthur never thought he could be ungrateful for a Porsche, but he found himself feeling it just a smidge. Gilgamesh got into his red, foreign car and drove off, almost reluctant to leave Arthur—but a deal was a deal. He had to have his time off! He needed to sleep, after all.

And sleep was coming to Arthur fast. He’d spent the whole night fucking Gilgamesh, and while his sleep schedule accommodated that, he was still extremely spent. Navigating the roads home, he thought about cleaning up his place in case Gilgamesh ever decided to visit. He belonged to him now. At least, in the eyes of his boss, and his secretary, and all of his coworkers… who must be fumingly jealous at Arthur’s incredible stroke of luck.

He didn’t want to think about that. Word got around the love hotel fast. As he parked his car discreetly, worrying it might get stolen, Arthur fumbled with his keys and unlocked his apartment.

It was a studio with a kitchen and a bathroom. Nothing special. His bed was a platform one so that he could store his clothes—work and regular—beneath it. He’d been vaguely considering getting a cat, but thought the better of leaving something to get lonely while he was going to be gone. Still, he looked at shelter ads on Facebook with a discerning eye.

Flopping onto his sofa, his world had entirely changed from six hours ago, where he was wearing diamond lingerie and having sex with a billionaire who bought him for the year. Just a year, and Arthur could quit. Hell, he could retire at his age of 28! He had a feeling Gilgamesh wouldn’t let him go so easily. If he just got bored, would Arthur be staying in his hotel room alone for half a year? Gil seemed to throw around money to such a degree that he didn’t really care.

A yacht party… he flicked on the sci-fi channel to an old movie. The sound of talking could probably put him asleep if he tried. Right—he should check his phone.

A few calls from clients wondering where he’d been for the evening. Oof. Lancelot was going to be really… really disappointed. Hadn’t he called Arthur his muse or something like that? Oh well. He could let the agency handle it.

For now, he was going to drift off into a peaceful sleep, until it was time to clock in again.


	2. Chapter 2

“Yeah, Artoria, the internship is going great—”

Keeping up a lie to his sister was hard, but telling her he was making his money as an escort was going to be harder.

Arthur’s life was remarkably ordinary outside of his job. He went home in the early mornings, slept until the afternoon, made himself tea just like anyone else and had a late breakfast. Then he’d usually head to the gym to keep in shape, and if he had the day off, he’d spend a lot of time walking around downtown with his headphones in, idly window shopping or working at his unpaid internship. The hours there were spotty so rarely did he ever have to call it quits at the hotel to run off and work there. He supposed it was probably time to quit the internship—after all, he didn’t really need it anymore.

He spent some time researching Gilgamesh online. Son of a pair of wealthy billionaires and set to receive his father’s fortune after passing, there was little stopping him from being as ostentatious as possible. He made tabloids regularly, most recently for a breakup with an ex-fiancée named Ishtar that was as messy as all get out. Maybe his games with Arthur was a way to bounce back from that? Arthur truly didn’t know. All he knew was that he was in his debt for the next coming year.

Several nights, Gilgamesh wouldn’t visit at all. Arthur would be dressed in his best, laying on the bed and watching television for the whole boring evening. He almost wished he did have a client for that time… but Arthur didn’t love his job. It took him a long time to divorce the idea of love and sex. He was a natural romantic at heart, but… he sold an illusion, now. The visage of a very handsome, but easily flustered young man who would give or take whatever was necessary. For his salary, he did bring home quite a bit, even before Gilgamesh, but all of it had been dedicated to rent and his hefty student loans. He’d been screwed over by the place he’d borrowed from, and now owed even more.

To see that balance go to zero made his heart melt. He felt genuinely grateful to Gilgamesh to take this off his mind and to see how much money was in his bank account, but Arthur was by no means a greedy man. He just wanted to… be secure. For a while, it felt like he would never get that luxury. This job had been taxing on his rigid morals, but it had been well worth it, especially now that Gilgamesh entered the picture.

He’d usually used the nickname ‘Saber’ as his moniker, the girl down the hall used ‘Passionlip’ for hers. How Gilgamesh knew his real name, he couldn’t guess. Money bought everything. Arthur rarely shared his real name with his clients, unless they were persistent and safe to be around. Arthur hung up the phone after his long conversation with his sister. He was surprised to hear the door open.

“The real world is a mess,” Gilgamesh said simply, shrugging his jacket off. “How I’ve waited to return to your room, Arthur.”

“I aim to please.”

“Of course you do, that’s all you’re good for.” Arthur felt his anger rise but wisely quieted it down. “Well—perhaps more than that. It remains to be seen. Arthur?”

“Yes?”

“Strip me.”

Arthur stood up and walked over to Gilgamesh. Here was something he had a certain talent for—reaching down to unbuckle his pants was also accompanied by his hands feeling out his lithe form beneath his shirt. Gil relished the attention, letting Arthur feel him as he pleased, unbuttoning his shirt and slipping his hands into the shoulders to push it off his frame. Each touch was as delicate as if it came from a lover—which was Arthur’s policy. A romantic at heart, he tried his best to treat each client like it was special, and only for them. Perhaps that’s why Lancelot kept coming back, even though he had the distinct faded tan of a wedding ring imprint on his hand…

Why was he thinking of him? It was Gilgamesh’s turn.

How many times had he had to bring this suit to the dry cleaners because of how messy it got during sex? This perfect, white and blue suit that his customers preferred to see him in had been through more dry cleanings than one could count. At that, he had clients buy him new clothes, but he always felt weird wearing them. They bought him gold watches, jewelry too. One man wanted to pay 2,000 dollars to pierce his ears like it was a fetish of his—and Arthur respectfully declined.

Gilgamesh hadn’t shown off his kinks yet, and Arthur had to assume there were some lying hidden down there, aside from getting fucked by a man in lingerie. He had Gilgamesh step out of his pants, took off his shoes and socks like Cinderella’s prince charming removing the glass slipper. Arthur didn’t want to admit it, but he looked fine as hell beneath his clothes. There were worse people to be bought out by.

Gil relaxed on the bed, stretching himself out like a contented cat as he looked at Arthur, still in his pristine suit.

“Take that thing off,” Gilgamesh boldly ordered. “I’ve seen you in that suit one too many times, which means other clients probably have as well. We’re going to get you a new wardrobe while we’re at it.”

“You gave me lots of money, I can just—”

“It’ll be to my taste, naturally.”

_‘So a lot of tacky gold’_, Arthur thought to himself. He undid the buttons of his suit and slipped out of it, down to his sock garters, which Gilgamesh held a hand up to.

“Leave those on.”

He really had no problems giving orders at all, did he? He was probably used to it his whole life. As Arthur climbed up onto the bed next to him, he pulled him down for a kiss, tasting the fresh mint on his lips and sliding his hand down his underwear to get a good feel for him. Arthur was sizable, but not painfully. Arthur blushed, glancing away as Gilgamesh felt him up.

“Spare me, Pendragon. You’ve been doing this for a while, haven’t you? There’s no shame left in your heart.”

“I-… it’s that you’re really handsome…” Arthur lied partially. Who wouldn’t blush when someone was fondling their dick? “And I’m not used to it?”

“Oh?” Gilgamesh asked. “Are you used to old men who come here to get their kicks? Forget them. They’re nothing to you now, they shouldn’t even register in your mind. You’re mine now.” Gilgamesh gave him a good squeeze and stroke before withdrawing his hand.

Arthur needed no further instruction. Pressing his lips to his chest and nibbling his nipple, he left indents of bite marks around its circumference. His hand drifted down to Gilgamesh’s dick and began to stroke roughly, getting him ready for what was about to come.

“Hurry up and fuck me—” Gil hissed, spreading his legs welcomingly. “Before we go out and get you some new clothes.”

So it was going to be that kind of date, huh? Arthur took the lube from the bedside drawer and pressed his fingers in between his legs, his index and ring finger fitting neatly inside him like he was ready for it. Pumping them in and out of him, Gilgamesh keened and moaned at how his fingers would just graze that special spot before moving away. Even Arthur had to admit, his reactions were hot… and if he was going to be exclusive, would it be so wrong to think of Gil as a lover? With renewed vigor, he nibbled his neck and sucked a bruise into it, pushing all of his gratitude into Gilgamesh as he finally began to fuck him.

“Wait a minute—” Gilgamesh pulled something from the side of the bed. It was a cock ring. “Put it on me.”

“You’re sure? Last time you really enjoyed—”

“Do as I say, Arthur, not as I did.”

Arthur obliged, rolling it over the head of his dick down to the base. Rocking the bed back and forth as he held aloft Gilgamesh’s spread legs, the billionaire rich boy said something he didn’t expect.

“Choke me.”

“Wh—what?”

“You heard me!”

There it was. There was the hidden kinky bastard who had yet to rear his head. Arthur pressed his strong hands to his throat and felt Gilgamesh sputter underneath him.

“Tighter.”

As Arthur’s hips bucked upward into him, he tightened his grip so that Gilgamesh could only barely breathe, as he gasped for air beneath Arthur’s silhouette, he let go only a couple times. He’d had practice with this with only a few times, knew the threshold between someone passing out and getting off. With the cock ring around his dick, there was no coming until Arthur allowed him to, and he could feel the hardness of his dick press into his waist.

This must really get him going, huh.

As Gilgamesh gasped for air, Arthur considered withdrawing, and Gilgamesh hissed “Don’t you stop! Bite me, Arthur—”

Was that an insult or an order? Arthur would take it as the latter, sinking his teeth into Gilgamesh’s neck as he let out a throaty gasp. This was his erogenous zone, the area around his neck, and Arthur took full advantage of it. He worked his teeth into his neck, threatening to press down on his throat again, but only barely.

Arthur could outlast Gilgamesh’s willpower to be teased, and eventually, the spoiled brat began begging for the cock ring to come off, giving Arthur a little willpower of his own.

“Are you sure?” Arthur met him with a punishing thrust, grinding against him deeply.

“Yes I’m—I’m sure!” That was the first he’d ever heard Gilgamesh stammer. It wouldn’t be the last. Arthur obliged and pulled off the ring, but not before grabbing Gilgamesh’s neck with his free hand, fucking him as he choked him, watching him come and come _hard._

He was gasping for air, feeling the bruised, tender side of his neck where Arthur’s teeth had dug in, completely blissed out. He’d done right by paying for Arthur, who had a keen sense of what to do and what not to do on a whim. He pushed himself up languidly, dragging his fingers through the sticky cum on his torso.

“… you didn’t finish?”

Arthur paused. “I guess not. I was so wrapped up in what you were doing—”

“Kneel on the bed.”

Arthur knelt properly, just as he was ordered. Gilgamesh tugged the condom off of him and tossed it away, opting now to stroke him off as he spoke to him.

“I wonder what gets your engine going, Pendragon?” His voice was lowly and erotic, an obvious ploy on Arthur’s arousal. He thumbed the underside of the head of his shaft, pressing hard enough that it wasn’t painful but god, could Arthur feel it.

“I…”

“Tell me.”

“I like blonds.” Arthur smiled, weakly.

Gilgamesh seemed satisfied with that answer, increasing his tempo. “What else?”

“I like—nnhgh, I like being ridden cowgirl style, I guess…”

“Something for the next time.” Gilgamesh’s pace was absolutely brutal now. It wasn’t long before Arthur shot thick strands of cum over the bed from sheer willpower alone. Gilgamesh knew that wasn’t the end of Arthur’s wishes. He was likely trying to please Gilgamesh with something he wanted to hear—which wasn’t nearly as fun at all. Just because he was out for his own pleasure didn’t mean he didn’t want to push Arthur to his limits. Breaking him would be as fun as getting whatever else he wanted out of him.

“Let’s shower and clean up. I’m using the rest of our time together to take you shopping.”

\--

It was late at night in the shopping district as Arthur wore his old suit around with Gilgamesh, who looked like he was worth a billion bucks. This wasn’t exactly Gilgamesh’s scene—he’d buy from runway fashion designers directly, but in a pinch, you couldn’t go wrong with some expensive tailors.

“Take his measurements,” Gilgamesh ordered as if he owned the place, which he very well could if he wanted to. “We’re going to buy no less than five suits today. I want Arthur’s sizes written down so I can prepare more outfits for him overseas.”

The assistant at the shop wasted no time measuring Arthur from arm to arm, around his waist, his height. Arthur obliged everything graciously, without complaining for even a minute. This was Gil’s purchased time, after all, if he wanted to buy him suits instead of fucking him, who was he to say no? Arthur was somewhat embarrassed by the whole thing, though—he overheard the numbers of what the suits cost and felt a twinge of shame that it was being bought for him. He had his own money now! But Gil insisted that he sit back and let his debit card do the talking.

Walking out in a new navy blue suit with an elegant red tie, there were receipts he’d have to bring back to pick up the rest of them after they’d all been tailored to fit him perfectly.

“I know it’s so I don’t embarrass you, but…” Arthur looked at the numbers with surprise. “Thank you.”

Gilgamesh apparently liked the look on his face, bashful but confident, as they strode side by side. “Think nothing of it! You’re my new… fascination, Arthur, and I treat things I like with the very best money has to offer.”

“So… your ex-fiancée—”

Gilgamesh froze. “What about her?”

“Was she…”

“She was an arranged marriage deal, except her personality was too horrid for even that. No, Arthur, I didn’t treat her with the same grace I’m treating you.”

‘_What a relief._’ Arthur thought sarcastically. Being treated better than someone’s ex-fiancee was nothing to be proud of when you were in Arthur’s line of profession. It said more about Gil than it did about him.

“What are you going to do with me? At the end of the year.”

“I suppose that depends on if you impress me,” Gilgamesh said with finality. “If you bore me, I’ll simply let you go and live your now poor, comfortable life. But if not…”

“… if not?”

“Things don’t tend to fascinate me for very long, Arthur. If you manage to last a year, I’ll be doing more than renew your contract.”

Arthur wanted to ask what, but part of him didn’t want to know. He hoped he bored Gilgamesh—he could tell his sister he won the lottery and move back home and live peacefully…

“Oh. And one more thing.”

“Yes?”

“We’ll be trying out a shock collar next time.”

“On you?”

“On _you_. It seems like a fun way to give commands.”

‘_As if I were a dog!_’ Arthur exclaimed in his own mind, but merely said. “It’s all up to you. I’m in your debt.”

“Arthur…”

“Yes?”

“When are you going to drop your Prince act and show me the real you?”

Arthur’s thin smile said ‘never’, but he questioned him nonetheless. “Act?”

“You’re a natural roleplayer. It’s the fantasy you sell. I want to see who you really are, and I will push every button to find out.”

Arthur said nothing as they got back to his car.

“Remember to wear one of the new suits next time. I’ll be bearing gifts.”

“Of course.”

The two sped off into the night, Arthur idly wondering to himself that—yes, the five million was worth it, but what fresh hell was Gilgamesh going to put him through to earn it?


	3. Chapter 3

Gilgamesh had made good on his promise, and more.

Not the shock collar—at least, not yet. Arthur found his apartment flooded with fashionable new clothing from overseas in his size, from all parts of the world. As he tried them on for his client’s liking, Gilgamesh couldn’t help but look on his apartment in disgust.

“Barely any room to stretch your legs! You live in a small parlor, for god’s sake,” He looked at his little round table in front of his couch and scoffed. “You should’ve moved out the moment I gave you the money!”

“It’s comfortable, besides—I don’t want to spend egregious amounts of rent when I could save that money for a house.” Ever sensible, Arthur continued to infuriate Gilgamesh’s incredibly delicate senses. It was rent he was concerned about? How could you be so poor you don’t consider spending your own considerable wealth? Fine, then. Arthur would be getting the best of everything. Besides, with that new Porsche parked outside, wouldn’t it only make sense he had the room to match?

“Give me your laptop. I’m looking up apartment listings.”

“Gilgamesh, you cannot be serious—”

“I’ll have movers here by tomorrow, not that you’ll want to keep all this trash, aside from the outfits I just gave you—”

Gilgamesh kicked up his feet onto Arthur’s pitiful round table and opened the laptop, annoyed with how slow and old it seemed. Nonetheless, he made himself comfortable as Arthur tried on new clothes and he gave the thumbs up or thumbs down. Eventually, he found somewhere that surprised even Arthur for Gilgamesh’s generous tastes—a penthouse apartment downtown, right in the center of everything, with a private rec room, pool, and almost every amenity you could possibly imagine. The rent was almost theatrically costly.

“No, no way—”

“Yes.” Gilgamesh had the wildest smirk on his face, apparently enjoying seeing Arthur squirm under these big numbers. “I’ll pay your rent for the year. That’s how long the lease is, anyway! Feel free to kiss my hand and thank me for my unrelenting generousness.”

Taking it as an order, Arthur did just that, despite reeling at Gilgamesh’s careless spending. To be this wealthy…! Arthur was almost insulted, despite his gratitude, and felt a deep pang of guilt for all of this being spent for his sake.

“Couldn’t you give this much to a charity or something instead of spending it on me? Please?”

“Mother and Father already give millions by the year. You _are_ charity, Arthur.”

‘Great, he sees my apartment and thinks I’m poor_ despite giving me millions of dollars_.’ Arthur thought wryly, knowing Gilgamesh would get his way one way or another. The outfit he was wearing now was a holographic jacket with a t-shirt that cost way too much and jeans that cost even more. Gilgamesh approved of the fashion choice.

“You look good enough to take on the town,” Gilgamesh put in his information for the apartment and closed the laptop. “So I will.”

“No sex…?”

“In this dingy apartment? Never. I’ll break your bed.”

Arthur didn’t doubt it.

\--

Gilgamesh was famously rich, though Arthur had never quite noticed him before he came into his bedroom.

He was famous enough to have his name crop up on google searches more than the Mesopotamian king himself, which he didn’t doubt pissed off scholars to no end. To take a high-end escort as a partner… wasn’t that really risky? Couldn’t that be leaked to the press or something? Nonetheless, Gilgamesh was incredibly confident that wouldn’t come to pass. That or his money could cover it up effortlessly. Gilgamesh broke the New York law of not walking side by side by snaking his arm around Arthur’s waist and basically using him as arm candy.

Arthur noticed the flash of a few cameras nearby, but Gilgamesh paid it no mind—it was part of his plan, after all, to be seen with him and to have rumors start flying. It made Arthur wonder if his buying Arthur was just a ploy to get back at someone, a random happenstance where he’d been in the right place at the right time—but that couldn’t be further from the truth.

The place for the evening was a fine dining establishment that Arthur had never seen before—it was a hole-in-the-wall with one table and one chef preparing each meal by hand. It cost more than Arthur would ever know to get a seat there for the evening. If he’d watched TV more often, he’d recognize the chef as a star of his own television show. Was Gilgamesh all flash and no substance, or did he really think spending more money gave you more quality?

“You should let me cook for you,” Arthur said gently, taking a seat at the one table before sliding his jacket off his shoulders.

“Why? Are you as talented with a frying pan as you are in bed? That’s not what I have you for.”

Why so loud? “I’d like to think I’m better, in fact.”

“Hoh… what a bold claim for someone who was bought for their skills. Very well. I’ll let you treat me to dinner next time—at your new apartment.”

All that money that could be saved, down the drain on an expensive apartment… “Of course. I’ll be happy to cook for you.”

\--

Gilgamesh was really so irritating. He was the definition of a spoiled brat and then some.

As Arthur moved into his new apartment, he noticed that furniture that distinctly wasn’t his was being brought in as well—it seemed Gilgamesh paid for new furniture, too. How could he not? With Arthur’s meager belongings, he wouldn’t have filled up the entirety of the space he lived in. Gone was his platform bed and simple mattress, a king-sized bed now sat squarely against the wall of a bedroom with a full-window view of the street below. His closet had been filled with clothes, his living room filled up cozily and well-decorated. It looked like something out of a magazine.

And he had his PS4 hooked up to an enormous TV.

All of this was more than generous, but to a magnanimous person like Arthur, it felt wasteful in all regards. Nonetheless, he’d have to live in it and be grateful for it until he moved out. It was nicer than anywhere he’d ever lived before—and look, Gilgamesh let him keep his little round table.

When the movers were all finished, his client finally entered the room with a brown bag underneath his arm, texting with the other hand. He took a look around the immaculate apartment and gave a soft ‘hmph’.

“Much better.”

“I have you to thank for that.” Arthur tried to forget the lavish excess and remember his princely demeanor. “Your generosity knows no bounds.”

“Arthur, I can see through you as transparently as glass. You’re not happy with this, are you?”

“Whatever do you mean?”

“You think it’s too much, but it’s essential. You’re going to be on my arm for the rest of the year. You have to look the illusion of a high-class individual. That includes living somewhere that suits my tastes.”

For a spoiled brat, he was quick to think. Nonetheless, if he stopped thinking of Gilgamesh as a client, he would throw himself down a messy path, so he stood up and greeted him with a kiss. He didn’t mention that one of his clients had been blowing up his phone, asking where he’d been and why the hotel was turning him away. He didn’t want to let Gilgamesh know that other people wanted him and wanted his time. He had to belong only to him, for that money to be worth it.

“Whether I’m happy with it or not, it’s generous to the highest degree. I’ll live in comfort thanks to you.”

“Of course you will. Was there ever any doubt? Anyway…”

Gilgamesh reached into the bag to pull out some red rope.

“I was thinking we could christen that new bed of yours.”

\--

Tightly fastening the rope around Arthur’s wrists, his arms were pulled firmly around his back. Gilgamesh had waited until he was completely nude to do so and did it with a satisfied smirk.

“Arthur, your hands belong to me now…” He trailed off, a glint in his eye. “And I’m saying you can’t use them.”

Arthur understood the name of the game. Do everything with his mouth—it was by no means a new sport, but it was his first time trying it on Gilgamesh. He waited until Gil sat sprawled on the mattress in front of him before he put himself to work. Each time he undid a button of his shirt with his teeth, he wondered if Gil would prefer he tear it off of him, but the man was patient, watching his every move as he worked his way down his abdomen.

Undoing the button on the front of his pants was the easiest, his teeth could get a good grip of it, slipping it out and moving down to pull the zipper with his teeth. Heat rose to his cheeks, getting this close and this intimate made him feel like he was doing this for the first time. Gilgamesh definitely was a bossy guy for someone who preferred the bottom, and he realized as he pulled down the front of his boxers there would be no hands available to stroke him to hardness, so his lips it was.

Arthur felt his arousal start to grow as he lavished long, loving licks against Gil’s cock and felt his arms involuntarily struggle to get free. This was… being forced to do this was _hot_, as hot as Gil’s gaze on him, and rarely did he ever feel himself get hard at the sight of a client. For as much grief as this spoiled brat gave him, he rarely disappointed in bed, so Arthur wouldn’t, either.

Scooting back just enough, Arthur took the head of his cock into his mouth, sucking him as he felt him harden between his lips, such a perverse sensation, but so _good_. He felt motivated to get him off for the sake of his own pleasure, to thank him for his generosity, even if he took issue with it. Arthur’s life was now a hell of a lot easier thanks to this man, and he wasn’t going to let any debt go unpaid.

He felt Gilgamesh’s hand pet the top of his head like he was a mutt doing a good job, and at first, it riled him up, but Gil was only pleased to see some fire in his eyes. He was excited to dismantle the ‘prince’, wasn’t he? Well, tough luck. Arthur would only show it in glimpses when he protested at the money spent when Gilgamesh was clearly getting under his skin, but never entirely. Gilgamesh paid for an idea, and he’d get one.

But he wasn’t satisfied with an idea. He wanted Arthur, the person.

As Gilgamesh’s hard, wet dick lay against his torso, he kicked out of his pants and tossed them over the side of the bed. He reached for the lube and sighed. “I guess you can’t stretch me with those hands of yours tied behind your back, but feel free to enjoy the sho—”

Arthur hadn’t brought his head back up, instead nibbling Gil’s inner thigh. “Bring your hips up.”

“Oh? Are you not done down there?”

“Not at all.”

Gilgamesh obeyed, and Arthur dragged his tongue up his perineum. Gil let out a breathy ‘fuck’. Just as Arthur prodded at him with his tongue, Gilgamesh waved a hand and pulled his hips away.

“Not today,” He gasped, cock at full attention now. “I—”

“You’re embarrassed?” Arthur asked, dubiously.

“I just want something a little bigger.” He slicked his fingers with lube and did the work of stretching himself out, biting his lower lip at the feeling of his fingers, closed eyes, pretending what Arthur’s tongue might feel like if it was so talented already. He didn’t waste any time wrapping his legs around Arthur’s torso, dragging him near and using his hand to guide Arthur inside of him.

The little hiss of _‘yessssss’ _coming out of Gil’s mouth was actually kind of adorable, Arthur had to admit. This time, there were no limits, only what he could do without balancing himself with his hands—at least that’s what Arthur thought before Gil pushed him on his back.

“You said you liked cowgirl.”

“What I like is hardly relevant—”

“Fool, do you not pay attention?” Gilgamesh sunk onto his whole length with a pleased grin. “Everything I have done so far benefits you, does it not? I want to undo you.” He raised his hips and brought them crashing down onto Arthur yet again. “I want to… see who you _really_ are…”

“_Fuck_,” Arthur whispered, and Gilgamesh ate it up.

“The prince can swear?”

“The prince can do a lot of things you don’t know about.”

“Indulge me,” Gilgamesh said, riding him for all he was worth, bouncing on his lap as Arthur was transfixed between the ceiling and his face. Gil’s hands roamed his torso, tweaking his nipples and fondling his chest like he was just eye candy he got to touch. Arthur knew that was all he was to him, a pet, a prince for rent—he could never, ever afford to think of him as anything but his client.

Arthur met his thrusts by bucking upward, feeling flush and sweat roll down his forehead, pleasing Gilgamesh with the sight of him coming undone. Gilgamesh was talented, he could easily break into the business if he ever needed to, Arthur thought—each roll of his hips felt like another crash of a wave, and Arthur bit his lip to hide his moans, only prompting Gilgamesh to lean down and kiss him.

“Having fun, prince?”

“You’re…” He could hardly breathe. “You’re… talented…”

“That look on your face is all I need to come. You can let yourself go any time.”

Arthur took his words at face value and let Gilgamesh ride him for another few moments before becoming spent, letting his cum fill him up and panting against his very new comforter. Gilgamesh rode him for all he was worth, coming at his own leisure, just as he promised.

“Untie…” Arthur gasped, trying to regain himself. “Untie me.”

Gilgamesh obliged, and Arthur used his newfound freedom to reach up and kiss Gilgamesh, an act born from utter affection. He thought he divorced the idea of sex and affection, but it creeped up on him before he could do anything about it. Gilgamesh forcefully kissed back before raising his hips and laying next to him. These were brand new sheets, Arthur couldn’t help but complain in his mind, but the sight of Gilgamesh laying with his legs splayed in utter contentment was something he couldn’t help but find enjoyable.

A thought hit his mind.

“Can I cook for you, now?”

“I’m exhausted…” Gilgamesh whined, putting a hand to his forehead and slicking back his hair. “But that would be fine, I suppose. Let’s clean up together first.”

\--

As Arthur stood well dressed in his new clothes, chopping potatoes to make a gratin dish, he heard his phone buzz. Gilgamesh was surfing his own phone on the sofa in the other room, so he figured he could make time to answer.

It was Lancelot du Lac. The famous author.

-L: Arthur?

-L: It’s been ages since I’ve been able to see you, they keep turning me away at the hotel.

-L: They say you’ve gone exclusive, is that true?

Ah. Arthur felt a pang of heavy guilt. There was no way he could just not tell Lancelot what was going on, he was one of his closest clients. Close enough to have his personal number, which Arthur rarely, if ever did.

-A: I’m afraid so. I was offered five million dollars to be exclusive with someone for a year.

-L: Five million?!

-L: Surely you jest!

-A: I would have answered your calls sooner if I wasn’t. I’m with him now.

-L: Who is he? Arthur, can I outbid him?

-A: You don’t have that kind of money, and besides, what’s done is done.

-A: I’m sorry…

Arthur resolved to go back to cooking, but his phone kept ringing with new alerts for texts.

-L: Arthur, you know how I feel about you.

-L: I can’t simply wait a year for you to come back.

-L: I’ll pay for time when he doesn’t have you, off the record. Please.

-L: I’m never inspired if I don’t have you—

-A: Lancelot. Goodbye.

Arthur shut off his phone and resumed cooking with a guilty heart.

\--

If the food was made with a sour conscience, Gilgamesh couldn’t tell. It was delectable—Arthur was truly talented and he’d never had home cooking outside of having his own personal chef. It was rustic, without frills, but there was something oddly charming about it. Normally, Gilgamesh wouldn’t deign to put common food in his mouth or would simply take a bite and say ‘be honored I even tried it at all’. “I’m going to have to keep you as a chef as well, instead of someone I simply fuck.”

“You could just say you like the food,” Arthur bit back quietly, cleaning up his new kitchen counters and washing the dishes.

“There you are.”

“Hm?”

“The not-prince. I saw you, for a second there. Instead of saying ‘I’m so humbled you like it’, you snapped back.”

“It was just—it slipped, that’s all.”

“It’s cute to see you talk back. You should do it more.”

“How could I talk back to someone who gave me a world-class kitchen like this? It was so cramped making food in my old apartment—”

“And there you go, slipping back into the prince again.”

The more Gil prodded at this, the more annoyed he became, but it never reached his face. He simply continued to wash the dishes, letting the water run over his hands and warm him up.

“I’ll be back tomorrow. Remember, the yacht party is this weekend.” Gilgamesh put his coat on his shoulders and leaned over to kiss Arthur’s cheek. “Bring the prince.”

Arthur just kissed back, ignoring the buzz of his phone in the background. He’d have to deal with that later.


	4. Chapter 4

Arthur was still not used to the fact that his apartment had a goddamn bellboy. Every time he went to press the button to get up to his floor, the bellboy would press it first, leaving him awkwardly standing there with his arm outstretched. He looked like a complete fish out of water in his own apartment building.

The yacht party was this evening, and Gilgamesh would be over soon to help him pick out an outfit to wear because as well dressed as he was, he had no way to tell which of the MANY new high-end fashion outfits were appropriate for one of these parties. Really, he’d select a turtleneck and a nice suit if he was given the choice, but Gilgamesh wasn’t so much commanding as he was picky. Arthur was selling Gilgamesh an image, and Gilgamesh was in turn selling the world an image of the two of them together.

A knock at the door—there he was.

Not that Arthur had to answer it; Gilgamesh had his own key. He watched as he unlocked the door and strode in like he owned the place, which he might as well have. He only stopped briefly to kiss Arthur on the cheek before grabbing his arm and heading into the walk-in closet in Arthur’s bedroom.

Gilgamesh clearly had more experience picking out things than Arthur did. Arthur watched in marvel as Gilgamesh sorted through the suit jackets on one rack before picking out a button-up shirt on another and a pair of pants that Arthur had no idea cost so much—all before tossing it on Arthur and telling him to go change. When he stepped out of the bedroom in a nice jacket, an ascot, and a pair of shoes he didn’t even want to think about how expensive they were, Gilgamesh gave him an appraising once over.

“Not bad.” He said, finally. “You won’t be upstaging me, but not bad.”

Gilgamesh was wearing a jacket with a sheer snakeskin pattern, black against black, but just barely able to be seen in the light. His red shirt lined with gold pinstripes beneath were more than flashy. Gilgamesh looked like one of the few people who could wear it and not look tacky. His hair was worn up today, spiked back, and Arthur vaguely thought it made him look like a cockatoo trying to prove he had ‘top energy’.

“Well? Let’s get going, shall we?”

\--

Arthur would’ve been happy to drive Gilgamesh to the docks, but that was what Gil had a driver for. He asked who was going to be there—just about everyone who was someone in this city, Gilgamesh answered. Arthur knew the protocol for this kind of thing. Be charming, be interesting, don’t steal the spotlight from your date but don’t wander off or be boring. He’d been ‘purchased’ for this kind of service before, albeit at much less affluent parties.

The yacht parked against the docks was beautiful and it made Arthur a little sick thinking about how much it was worth. People were already boarding, and Gilgamesh snuck his hand around Arthur’s waist as he walked with him on board. People were turning heads to look at the two of them. Clearly, Gilgamesh was a star of the show for this little outing, and everyone wanted to see his new toy. Arthur gave out winning smiles and waves and polite ‘how do you do’s’ to everyone he passed by, while Gilgamesh remained coolly silent.

As they disembarked, Arthur wanted to explore, but there was no leaving Gilgamesh’s side. He listened to people talk about stocks and business deals while nodding and engaging with them as far as he could, as Gilgamesh watched him closely. He had to be perfect, and yet here Arthur was, playing his role as a well-off gentleman rather well. Gilgamesh could see all eyes on his Arthur as he talked about living in the downtown area and how he’d found the nicest little café—and he decided he didn’t like peoples’ staring as much as he thought he would.

Arthur was just about to get into talking about adopting a dog when someone caught his eye.

Violet hair, glasses, a cardigan. Arthur’s heart dropped to the pit of his stomach, but by then they had already made eye contact.

“I’m going to find the restroom, will you excuse me?” He gave Gilgamesh a peck before walking briskly out of his grasp, across the deck and somewhere, anywhere but there. Gilgamesh gave him a curious look as he walked off, but shrugged it off. Lancelot was following him close behind and caught his wrist once they were out of Gilgamesh’s sight.

“Is that him?” Lancelot asked. Arthur didn’t answer. “Is that who you’re—”

“Indebted to. Yes.” Arthur pulled his wrist back to himself, meeting Lancelot’s eyes head-on. “I told you we couldn’t meet again.”

“Arthur…” Lancelot was taking in the sight of him, it had been so long…! This was his muse, the person who helped inspire everything he’d written as of late. “You can’t be serious.”

“I am, and if you let anyone know why I’m here, I’m afraid I won’t be able to forgive you.” Arthur’s voice was resolute. He wasn’t giving Lancelot an inch to take a mile.

“I… won’t, I would never, but can we talk?”

“I’m afraid not. I have to head back to my date.”

“Please,” Lancelot practically begged, and Arthur couldn’t give in.

“I’m sorry.”

“At least tell me if you ever felt the same way—”

“You were my client, Lancelot. You paid as everyone else did.”

Arthur’s words were harsh but merited. He couldn’t let anyone who laid claim to him via money ever think they truly possessed his heart. In this business, you couldn’t fall in love, you could only hope to have a job good enough to keep you afloat, and Arthur now had one. What was the quote? ‘If love is for the highest bidder, there can be no trust. Without trust, there is no love.’ What movie was that from, anyway?

He left Lancelot standing alone at the side of the deck, walking back to Gilgamesh’s side with a nevertheless guilty heart.

\--

Gilgamesh wanted his full attention at dinner. Arthur sensed he might be getting jealous of the young ladies and gentlemen who wanted his attention.

“Everyone’s asking where you came from, all of a sudden,” Gilgamesh sipped his wine as he relaxed with Arthur away from the crowd. “I keep telling them you come from old money in Britain, so keep that lie in mind, will you?”

“Right…” He supposed there was no hiding his accent, anyway. “It’s not that far off, sans the old money part.”

“Why did you come to the states, anyway?”

“College, then I immigrated. I thought I could get a good career here…”

“You did.”

“I did, indeed…” Arthur was now a millionaire thanks to the man next to him. “And I owe you for everything.”

“You do.” A wicked grin spread across Gilgamesh’s face as he watched Lancelot from across the room. He’d picked up on the tension between both him and Arthur and had already guessed what was going on. One of Arthur’s former clients, hm? Well, it won’t do to have that secret get out, now, will it? Gilgamesh leaned into the crook of Arthur’s neck and kissed it, keeping his eyes on the man across the room. He wasn’t making a total show of it, but he was enjoying watching the man squirm.

“Let’s find somewhere private, shall we?”

\--

Arthur really was at his command.

Even as they stowed away in this private room, he was working kisses into Gilgamesh’s neck knowing Gilgamesh requested it specifically because people had their eyes on him, all over. He didn’t want his investment to be lead astray, so as they kissed and ghosted their hands over each other’s clothes, Arthur resolved to put in 100%. Anything to make him happy, anything that would pass the time until they got home.

Arthur pushed him against the wall, crushing his lips in a kiss he was so well versed in by now. Guilt was still pressing in his chest, but he was trying to drown it out in skin-to-skin contact. Come on, Arthur, think of something. Think of anything, beyond Lancelot’s dejected face…

Gilgamesh relished the attention, making careful efforts not to grasp Arthur’s finely styled hair or let Arthur do the same to him. They had to exit this place looking only mildly ruffled—enough to cue everyone else into what was going on, but not ostentatiously.

“No sex,” Arthur said firmly. “Not here.”

“Disappointing, but not surprising,” Gilgamesh let Arthur pull aside his collar so he could kiss down it. “I suppose I can’t leave a total mess.”

Little did he know, Arthur requested that solely because his guilt was eating at him. Why should he feel so guilty? Why? It was a client-worker relationship. Sometimes, they had to end. Arthur was still making the mistake of thinking with his heart instead of his mind and felt like he’d done a betrayal.

As Gilgamesh shoved his hands into his shirt, he wondered how the others dealt with this kind of drama.

\--

The drama wasn’t nearly over. Not until Ishtar had a say.

Hearing Gilgamesh was on the boat, she was overturning every nook and cranny looking for him. She still had a bone to pick with him, but to hear he’d come to this party with a date…! After their engagement ended, no less! She didn’t even think to bring arm candy so soon after, and if she could ruin it in any way possible, she was _going to_.

Seeing them stumble out of a room, looking clearly mussed up and pleased with themselves, she charged right on over.

“Gilgamesh!”

“Ishtar…” The name left his lips like it was distasteful.

“So! Who’s this?” She looked at Arthur pointedly, and the feel of her stare was like she was searching him for secrets. He decided to take the polite route.

“I’m Arth—”

“I wasn’t asking you.”

That shut him up quickly.

“This is Arthur.” Gilgamesh slipped a hand around his waist. “We met at a party a few months back. Knew I had to keep him.”

“Isn’t that just how you choose all your little dates, hmm? Let’s see how long this model lasts.”

“Um—” Arthur tried to interject.

“Gilgamesh, so help me, if you embarrass me like this again—”

“What ‘if’? You don’t need me to embarrass yourself.”

Ishtar raised a hand as if to slap him but thought better of it. Gilgamesh didn’t even flinch.

“You _will_ regret not marrying me.”

“Yes, because you’re so charming right now. I can feel the lost opportunity already.”

Finding nothing else to say, she stormed off as Gilgamesh simply took Arthur by the arm.

“Dinner’s probably ready. Is this the first time I’ve taken you out? Prepare to see what _real_ food tastes like.”

\--

Pompous and rich, just like him. Arthur preferred his own cooking.

As the party wound down and they pulled back into the docks, Arthur had waited long enough to finally retire for the evening and get back home. It had been a lot of idle chatter about college and business and frankly, it had worn him out. Gilgamesh had his driver pick them up, but instead of heading back towards his apartment, they were going in a different direction.

“Uh, Gilgamesh--?”

“I have a thank you gift, for being such a good sport about this. Don’t let it go to your head.”

_Please, don’t be another car_… Arthur thought as they pulled into the driveway of a nice house 30 minutes out of town. Arthur got out curiously as a woman answered the door, and then, suddenly—

A white Samoyed puppy bounded out of the doorway to bark at Arthur, whose immediate reaction was to kneel down and start petting it. Gilgamesh handed the woman some bills and looked back Arthur’s way.

“You said you wanted a pet, didn’t you? He’s a pedigree, purebred—”

“He’s perfect,” Arthur marveled, and by the tone of his voice, Gilgamesh couldn’t help but feel like this was the first time he made Arthur _really _happy. It gave him an odd feeling. He held onto the puppy the whole way home, letting it stick its muzzle out the crack of the window, talking about what kind of names he wanted to give it. Cavall was the name of his dog when he was younger, so—Cavall II? Gilgamesh wasn’t really paying attention to Arthur’s words so much as he was watching his face.

“Thank you, Gilgamesh…” Arthur began as he dropped him off at the front of his apartment. He’d go to the pet store once Gil left to go get supplies.

“As I said, don’t let it go to your head. Arthur?”

“Yes?”

“Thank you for bringing the Prince along. I think he made quite an impression on everyone.”

Arthur hadn’t even realized what Gilgamesh meant for a few moments. “It’s never a problem. You are my client, after all.”

But that word—client—put a bitter taste in Gilgamesh’s mouth. It bothered him as much as it bothered Lancelot.

“Whatever. I’ll see you in the next couple of days. Have fun training Cavel or whatever you named it.”

“Of course.”

As Gilgamesh’s car sped off into the dusk, Arthur held Cavall II close to him before letting it walk with its harness on to the parking garage. He really did owe Gilgamesh a lot, didn’t he?


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There is so much sex in this chapter, I am sorry. (I'm not sorry)

Lancelot had finally stopped calling.

It was a relief to Arthur, who had been feeling guilty ever since the party. He’d been pouring all his time into Cavall II’s training, at least when Gilgamesh wasn’t calling on him. The playboy billionaire apparently had a job with his father’s company, and not only that, was _good_ at it. He apparently had already made back the money he spent on Arthur initially, which Arthur thought was unfathomable. No wonder he could throw it around so recklessly!

Arthur treasured the nights he slept alone with no one but the puppy by his side, resting his chin on his arm and whining for Arthur to get up every morning. Cavall II had so much energy that it was infectious, and Arthur found himself taking him on runs through downtown, stopping at dog-friendly cafes and having breakfast. He was starting to get recognized around town as Gilgamesh’s plaything and had even a few photos snapped of him. Every time he and Gil appeared in tabloids, it blew his mind. He started donning pairs of sunglasses wherever he went in order to dodge the press.

It surprised him to receive a text message so early in the morning from Gilgamesh. Usually, he slept in.

“Movie tonight? Rosemont Theatre. I’ll pick you up at 8.”

Why he ever bothered with a question mark was beyond him, Arthur’s job was solely tending to Gilgamesh’s needs.

“Sure thing.”

He’d better get home and get cleaned up. He hated leaving Cavall II alone, but it would only be a couple hours this time.

\--

Seeing a movie together felt like a very simple date to Arthur, perhaps Gilgamesh just wanted to have a break for once? Between their extremely involved sex life and the rich and famous life, it made sense that Gilgamesh wanted Arthur to be his plus one everywhere. He was getting his money’s worth, even if Arthur had sensed they hadn’t even built a friendship yet. It was hard to when Gilgamesh was nothing but demands.

As they took a seat in the theater, Arthur noticed there were only a few of them there—that’s right, this movie was going out of theaters this week, and it wasn’t very popular… Gilgamesh deliberately took seats towards the back. As Arthur patiently waited for the movie to begin, he wondered what on earth Gil was thinking.

It took him a third into the movie to find out.

He noticed Gilgamesh’s hand creep over and fiddle with the zipper on his pants while he stayed focused on the movie screen. Ah… all the way in public? Another thing he didn’t put on the ‘no way’ list. Knowing that Gil had the common sense not to go much further than a handjob, he helped him with the zipper.

Gilgamesh slipped his hand into his pants and took his sweet time feeling him up, relishing in the opportunity to do so in such an open space—a perfect opportunity to show how much he had Arthur on a leash, to exert his power, and to get himself hot, too. As he pried his cock out into the open air, his hand gave it one lavishing stroke before settling into a lazy tempo as he pretended to watch the movie, and this just happened to be something he was fidgeting with as Arthur kept his composure. If he moved around too much, someone might look back and see them. Best to keep the same poker face that Gilgamesh did.

Someone could see them—see them so easily just by standing up and going to the lobby, and it was making Arthur’s heart race. As he could feel his blood rush to his groin, nervousness and arousal combining in a potent combo, he could no longer focus on the movie. Gilgamesh sensed the change in demeanor and picked up his pace, smirking to himself as he listened to Arthur’s breathing.

One of Arthur’s tells—now that Gilgamesh had started learning him inside and out—was biting his lower lip. He took immeasurable pride in teasing Arthur like this, seeing him come undone when he usually devoted himself to pleasing someone else. Arthur pushed his back against the seat, bucking his hips up into Gilgamesh’s hand as he tittered at how eager Arthur seemed, instead of just following every suggestion Gilgamesh had blindly, all in the sake of pleasing him and not the other way around. Each movement of his wrist, his thumb pressing against the underside of his shaft, all of it was driving Arthur crazy.

“Gil—” He whispered. “You’ve had your fun, now—”

“Oh, not yet.”

He really wanted him to _come_ in the theater? He thought this teasing was all it was going to be! Arthur squirmed beneath his touch, and Gilgamesh’s hand quickened to a relentless pace. All the while, Arthur thought of someone opening the door, seeing this, and—

He hissed Gilgamesh’s name as he came hotly against his hand. Thin, white strands marking his pants and the back of the seat in front of him. Arthur was embarrassed the moment he came, making a mess of a public place like this… but Gilgamesh was already ahead of him, taking napkins out and cleaning up as Arthur shamefully tucked himself back in. Gil had that self-satisfied look on his face that showed off just how pleased he was to get away with this.

“Honestly…” Now that Arthur had his composure back, he could finally speak.

“I’m done with this movie. Let’s head back to the car.”

\--

Apparently, it had been just as much of a turn on for Gilgamesh as it had been for Arthur.

As roomy as the back of Gilgamesh’s car was, it was still a tight fit for the two of them to muss each other up making out. Arthur would have much preferred they drove home to a bed, but—Gilgamesh was in charge here and wasn’t afraid to flaunt it. Thank God for tinted windows and thank him also for the back of the parking lot being mostly empty. Arthur couldn’t recall the last time a client got him so invigorated—then again, that was just the kind of bully Gilgamesh was. He would press and press and press until he got what he wanted.

“Feel free to sing my praises for finding your hidden weak spot,” Gilgamesh keened as Arthur busied himself biting along his neck. “Public places, Arthur? Really?”

“It’s not a kink so much as it was your determination to make me come—” Arthur admitted quietly, unbuttoning Gilgamesh’s shirt, feeling out his body generously beneath the soft fabric. Gilgamesh was built well, no doubt the effort of several personal trainers. Arthur kept himself fit on his own time, but Gilgamesh was something else. He was limber and lithe, _bendy_, as it were. Arthur was consistently surprised by him without getting used to it at all. Gilgamesh pushed Arthur to the side, wanting to sit atop him this time around, pinning him to the back seat of his car.

“You said you preferred cowgirl before, right?”

“Mmph—” Hadn’t he gotten that out of Arthur the last time? “Yeah…”

“Let’s see if you were telling the truth.”

Of course, Arthur had been. It was hard to lie to someone who was stroking your dick, after all. Gilgamesh took his time pulling down his pants just enough to slick himself with lubricant. Arthur had already gotten hard since they started making out—really? Arthur was either very eager for Gilgamesh or he had no problem with any sort of client. Gilgamesh would preen and take it as the former. As he positioned himself above the head of his cock, sliding down as he guided it into him, Gilgamesh loved the look on Arthur’s face, those green eyes fluttering in pleasure and panic—what if someone saw? The press was all over these two, what if—

And as soon as their hips connected, it hardly mattered. Gilgamesh would rock the car with all of his eagerness, even in the tight fit it was in the back seat.

\--

On top of the other things to be grateful for, there was Arthur’s massive shower. As the two men cleaned themselves up (after getting a very judging look from the elevator operator at how messed up the two of them were), Cavall II whined at the door. Arthur, in a towel, was the first to open the door and coo at the puppy while Gilgamesh preened in the mirror over getting his hair perfect again. For such a subdued style, it took a lot of work.

“Are you staying late?”

“I might,” Gilgamesh replied idly, combing his hair. “Why?”

“I’m going to get dressed and take Cavall II on a walk. Why not come with?”

“Hmph…” It felt like the dog was going to get more attention than him, but he supposed that came with the whole getting-him-a-puppy thing. “Fine.”

As the two got dressed and Cavall II looked just as sharp in his little harness, they made their way down and to the street, the puppy eagerly leading the way.

“There’s a park just around the corner where I can let him run for a bit, and we can talk.”

“About?”

“Well…” Arthur began. “I’m curious about a few things.”

“Hm?”

“Why me? For this big charade of yours.”

“It’s not a charade.”

“Well then, what is it? You hire me to be your plus one everywhere, you pay a fortune for it when you really could’ve gotten away with paying less—”

“Don’t make me regret it, Arthur.”

“Right…” He wrapped the leash around his wrist. “But we’ve got a strict worker-client relationship. I’m not going to delude myself that I’m anything more to you than that.”

“Nor should you.”

Arthur frowned. Either Gilgamesh was putting up a front or he really did value Arthur as a plaything and nothing more. Why did that bother him? They weren’t even professional friends yet. Maybe it was because he was getting dragged around everywhere without considering being on the clock anymore. His time was now Gilgamesh’s time, no matter when. He’d never been exclusive before and it was starting to mess with him.

When they got to the dog park, Arthur unhitched Cavall II from his harness and watched him run off to play with the other dogs. Gilgamesh crossed his arms and leaned against the fence, watching the other dogs try to roughhouse with the puppy.

“But…”

“But…?” Gilgamesh asked, slyly curious.

“It’s hard keeping that border between client and worker when you’re calling on me at all hours of the day, using me as your personal stress toy, and treating me to everything under the sun. Normally, you don’t give someone so many things, pay their rent, get them a dog—”

“Because I want to keep you happy, Arthur.” Gilgamesh smirked. “This arrangement is nothing to me if you’re not going along with it willingly. I treat the people who work under me with dignity, and as a recent hire, you’re no different. It’s a part of business.”

“… am I a pet to you?”

“What does it matter if you are?” Gilgamesh laughed. “You still took the money. And people have probably treated you as less than that.”

Arthur’s brows furrowed. “I’m not a pet.”

“Did I strike a nerve?”

“I’m not a pet, I’m not someone you can just buy treats and a little doghouse for and expect my unwavering obedience. I’m a human being, Gilgamesh, and I’m not one of your little worker drones either.”

Finally, someone beneath the Prince’s façade was starting to emerge, and he was feisty! Gilgamesh had clearly chosen the right words to drag him out. Arthur had pride, and it was clear as day from the first moment he saw him. He didn’t see himself as a run-of-the-mill escort who’d bend over backward for someone, he saw himself as a worker providing a service and nothing more. Prideful bastards like that who didn’t know their place were usually quite annoying to Gilgamesh, but in this sense, it was rather amusing.

“So you’re not pleased with the apartment?”

“I would’ve been fine without it. I don’t need one to do my job.”

“Your job.” Gilgamesh smirked. “You can never get back the time you spent fucking strangers instead of doing real work.”

“Real work? You think tallying numbers and making the biggest profit is real work compared to what I do?”

Oh, now he’d done it. Gilgamesh could just sit back and watch the results pour out.

“Why don’t you try servicing a spoiled brat all of the time, obeying his every whim and see if that’s worth your time or money?” The words left Arthur’s mouth before he could catch them, and he seemed mortified that he couldn’t. There goes his contract. Still, he stood by his words, even if he was ready for admonishment for them.

“A spoiled brat…” Gilgamesh mused over the words. “That’s what you think of me? Truly? Instead of your generous benefactor, I’m a spoiled brat?”

“… you bought me like you were shopping for a specific brand in a store. A prince. You said it yourself. And only spoiled brats have privileges like that.”

“Oh, no no no. I can see now what I have isn’t a prince at all.” Gilgamesh’s expression was… dangerous. Arthur couldn’t tell if it was intrigue or anger, but his crimson eyes were burning with something he couldn’t quite tell. “I have something else entirely.”

“… that is?”

“For me to know and you to figure out.”

Arthur paused, wondering if he should apologize. “… it’s not my place to call you a brat. You’ve been nothing but generous. I’m so—”

“Oh, don’t apologize for words you _mean_, Pendragon. It makes you look weak, and nothing is a bigger turn-off. Get your dog, we’re heading back to your apartment.”

\--

As Arthur opened the door, Gilgamesh seized his arms and closed the distance between them, crushing his lips in a domineering kiss that betrayed none of his usual relenting to Arthur’s whims. Cavall II whined as it squeezed past them, Arthur dropping his leash as the dog ran into the other room. He was stunned by Gilgamesh’s sudden passion, before thinking and wondering—is this my punishment? Is Gilgamesh really trying to show me who’s boss?

Two could play at that game. Arthur practically headbutted him back in a kiss. Gilgamesh was going to get what he paid for, but he didn’t specify he always wanted a nice boy who would do all the work. Arthur’s anger could be tasted on his lips—his work was worth nothing? He was spending all of his time servicing a spoiled brat? He’d prove to Gilgamesh his job was damn well worth paying for and that he was excellent at it.

Gilgamesh yanked at Arthur’s tie so hard it nearly choked him, and Arthur didn’t care about ripping Gilgamesh’s shirt open—he could buy another one! Normally he’d reverently undo every button like it was a work of art. As he toppled onto the bed with him, there was only one thing on their minds—dominance, and who would have it in the end.

“This shirt cost me more than you would make in a month without me—” Gilgamesh hissed.

“Oh yeah?” Arthur tugged it off of him like it was trash, nothing more. “I’m a millionaire thanks to you. I’ll _pay for it_.”

That voice…! Gilgamesh loved it, loved seeing Arthur shed that princely side to himself to show how he really felt about him. Without this, he’d get nowhere with Arthur. Knowing where you stood with someone was integral to building any sort of relationship at all. Lancelot hadn’t known Arthur in the slightest, he was art to him, but a piece he didn’t know the meaning of. He didn’t see its ugly side worthy of critique, so he could never fully appreciate its perfect half.

That’s why Arthur belonged to him.

Arthur placed one hand against the front of his chest and shoved him back down onto the bed. He slid his hands into the front of his pants and felt him up roughly, just like Gil had done to him in the theater. It was as if to say ‘If you think being toyed with is so enjoyable, feel it for yourself’. Gilgamesh _was_ enjoying himself thoroughly, but he could see the point Arthur was making with his hands.

“Fuck me, Pendragon.”

“I’ll work my way to it.”

Arthur would spend his time teasing him with his hands, stripping him, _biting_ him. Leaving marks that were sure to cause pain if he brushed his hands over them later or felt hot, running water down them. Gilgamesh looked forward to every bit of it, and as he finger-fucked him, Arthur was tempted to just leave it there, to stretch him and then just leave him there, but _he had a job to do_ lest Gilgamesh forget it.

Arthur’s thrusts were quick but deep, edging Gilgamesh on for the sake of proving he couldn’t last in bed when Arthur was putting 110% into his work. As Gilgamesh’s hair started to fall out of its perfect styling, he looked at Arthur’s serious face with absolute pleasure. This was the real Arthur, stripped of all the loving prince-like behavior he gave to the rest of his customers. He clearly chose the right words to egg him on.

Arthur fucked him into the mattress so hard Gilgamesh thought he might break through it, and god was that hot. He couldn’t hold himself back, nor did he want to with such excellent service—he came, then and there, without so much as a hand on his cock. He expected Arthur to stop, to moodily withdraw and say he’d done his work, but…

He kept going, focusing on Gilgamesh’s face as he did so, riding him out until he came along with him, trembling with overstimulation. With his orgasm came the sinking feeling that he’d done something wrong, that he’d taken his anger out on a client and that was something you should never do—but Gilgamesh looked pleased with him.

“Finally.”

“Did you say all of that stuff just to get me angry?”

“Partially. I wasn’t lying, but I wasn’t telling the whole truth, either.”

“You’re—”

“Oh? Say it.”

Arthur looked away, his sense coming back to him. “Nevermind…”

“I’m going to stay the night after I have a shower. Change the linens, won’t you?”

Arthur couldn’t disobey a direct order like that as they untangled themselves from one another.

“Sure…”

What had come over him? Gilgamesh had brought out his real feelings... but why? Why did he care so much about seeing the real Arthur? 


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not the kind of bastard who'd tag a ship on a fic where they don't get together (or will they?), but we're going to see some Arthur/Lancelot in this fic too.

Lancelot sat in his office alone.

In front of him sat a ring box, containing a platinum band with a message engraved on the inside—"Le cœur a ses raisons, que la raison ne connaît pas.”

It wasn’t his. It was meant for Arthur.

He couldn’t believe that Arthur was enjoying himself being on the lap of a rich brat like Gilgamesh, not the Arthur he knew, who was quietly virtuous despite falling into the profession he did. He knew Arthur well, he spent several of his sessions with him just talking… Arthur had worked himself into the protagonist’s seat of his best selling novels. Lancelot wrote from life, and Arthur had been the main inspiration in his latest, most popular series. The quiet determination and pureness of character that Arthur had been the most influential thing on his writing in years. He’d dedicated his books to him, he planned to _leave his wife_ for him—

All for a man who, at the end of the line, had to be bought to belong to someone properly. He was so stupid. He didn’t think Arthur was faking it on their dates, but they never had any dates where Lancelot didn’t pay for his time. Had he been in over his head? Blinded by love? Thinking he was just helping a poor college grad screwed over by his debtors, paying for his time without demanding sex? In the end, though, he couldn’t help Arthur _enough_, which was why he likely took the deal Gilgamesh had offered. Stupid, stupid. He could have made an exclusive offer before, but he just didn’t think he would _have_ to. He didn’t anticipate someone rich to swoop in and make that ridiculous offer.

He could live with Arthur not feeling the same way, but to be bought out by Gilgamesh, of all people… there was no way he could be happy with that arrangement. Sure, it probably saved him from debt, but Gilgamesh was as unlikable as they came. He was practically bragging about having Arthur on his arm the entire evening he was on the yacht.

He picked up his phone and dialed the number of the hotel where he and Arthur would usually meet. “Hello?”

“Mr. du Lac, we’ve been very clear about Arthur’s situation—”

“I know.” He pinched his brow in frustration. “I… know. I just want to talk to him, is that okay?”

“No, it isn’t. Arthur has an exclusivity contract. We are not going to help you breach it.”

“I just want closure, please.”

“You don’t get closure in this business. You hired him for jobs, and you got what you wanted. What does it help you to stalk him?”

“S- stalk him?” Lancelot sounded positively scandalized. “I am not stalking him!”

“You’re calling his workplace trying to find out how to contact him. It’s…”

“… yeah, I get it. I needed the wakeup call. Thank you.” He hung up the phone.

What was he going to do? Could he wait a year for Arthur’s contract to be up before he started talking to him again? Maybe… maybe he could wait that long. Or maybe the two of them could talk as a final goodbye. He knew Arthur would be amenable to that. He was professional that way.

He sent a text.

\--

Arthur couldn’t get comfortable sleeping next to Gilgamesh, who apparently didn’t know he snored. Cavall II was sleeping at Arthur’s side, getting pets as Arthur rolled over. Thank god there was nothing about cuddling in the contract.

His phone lit up. Curious, he picked it up.

Lancelot.

This time, curiosity was too much to simply let go of the conversation.

-L: Arthur, can I speak with you for a moment?

-A: Sure. What’s up?

-L: Oh, thank goodness.

-L: I was wondering if we could have a goodbye meeting? I understand if you don’t want to. I wasn’t aware I had been… overzealous with my attempts to contact you. I feel like I’ve gotten the wrong impression of our relationship and I’d just like to say goodbye so I can move on.

-L: I think we'd have a lot to talk about.

-L: What do you say?

Arthur wasn’t sure what to say. On one hand, he had enjoyed Lancelot’s company more than any other client and forcing himself not to talk to him had been a matter of staying faithful to his contract and the person who’d saved him from debt. One part of being honorable was that he would stay true to his benefactors no matter what, but… Arthur was lonely without Lancelot as well. He had been the closest a client had ever been to a real relationship with him. He never asked Arthur for sex, he never really asked Arthur of _anything_ beyond dates and conversation. The only times they had slept together was because of Arthur’s curiosity.

-A: That sounds fine. I’m sorry I haven’t been talking.

-A: I miss you

-A: I know that must sound like a lie considering where we last spoke, but it’s true

-L: I miss you as well.

-L: Do you think we could still be friends?

Arthur wasn’t sure how to respond, so he simply continued.

-A: Where would you like to meet?

-L: Is Central Park good for you?

-A: I’ll consult my schedule and get back to you.

Schedule, in this instance, meant Gilgamesh. Lancelot understood and bid him goodnight.

Arthur laid back down in bed, listening to Gilgamesh’s steady breathing and trying to will sleep to come, trying to push out any sort of anxiety he had about that meeting. Lancelot wasn’t a pushy man, but he was very in love with him. There was no telling what he’d say.

\--

Thankfully, Gilgamesh left early in the morning.

Arthur decided to bring Cavall II along with him, beginning the morning trek to Central park with a leash on his wrist and carefully navigating the streets. Lancelot was a handsome, charming man, who always treated him kindly. On the other hand, Gilgamesh had called Arthur nothing more than a pet when they last spoke. It was clear who the winner was in terms of manners, but Arthur still owed Gilgamesh quite a lot, even if they came from entirely different worlds and had different perspectives on things. No matter what, Arthur would serve his year to him. He owed him that much.

Gilgamesh’s words came to mind. ‘What happens when the year is over? Well, if you impress me…’

The thought of belonging to Gilgamesh for more than a year was stressful, but Arthur didn’t need more money than he had already earned. He could call it quits after the contract ended and go back home to Britain with a fortune in his bank account. It didn’t matter what Gilgamesh wanted after that.

Lancelot didn’t specify where in Central Park he wanted to meet, so Arthur continued to wander. The early spring weather was still briskly cold, and occasionally he knelt to pick up Cavall II so his paws wouldn’t get too cold in the frosted grass.

Arthur spotted him then, and his heart jumped and sank all at once.

“Hey,” He introduced himself, meeting his eyes and steeling himself to not look away.

“Arthur…” Lancelot trailed off before gently touching his shoulders and leaning in to kiss his cheek. Arthur didn’t move away, but he didn’t lean into it, either. “—Sorry, sorry, I should be keeping my hands to myself. Shall we walk?”

Arthur didn’t confirm or deny that he should—he only nodded. “Let’s.”

\--

“So does he treat you well?”

It was so awkward to talk about Gilgamesh like he was a lover and not a client, for both of them.

“He’s fine.” Arthur said simply. “I can’t complain, but I’m not singing his praises either.”

“Arthur, I know you can’t break your contract—”

“I’m glad you know that.”

Oof, that stung. “But…”

“But…?”

“Could I wait for you? Please—”

“Lancelot…” Arthur’s voice was truly sad. “Is it really worth it? You’re—you _were_ married. You could still fix things with Guinevere. I know you don’t dislike her, it’s just…”

“I love you.” Lancelot said quietly. Arthur could feel the words pierce his heart so cleanly it might as well have been done with a sharpened sword. “And… if you would wait for your contract to be over—”

“Lancelot, I—”

“—we could meet in the end. I don’t mind waiting a year. We’re already a few months into your contract. I understand this is just a job for you, but…”

“…”

“You don’t truly like him, do you? Not the same way you and I…?”

“No… no, I don’t.” Arthur admitted. “He called me his pet. You would never.”

Lancelot stopped for a moment, taking in his words. So this person was just… debasing Arthur and using him? It made him sick to his stomach. “I just want to know one thing.”

“That is…?”

“Did you enjoy the time you spent with me? More than it being a job?”

Arthur stalled. It was true that the only times they had sex was when Arthur prompted it, and Arthur did enjoy Lancelot more than any of his other clients, but that was just it. He was a client. He paid for him the same as the roughest clients did. Even if they didn’t sleep together often, even if all their time was spent on dates and helping Lancelot with his book… Lancelot still saw him as _someone to be bought_. Even if it was to help him with his debt. Even if it was out of kindness and love… just the same as Gilgamesh, who had no delusions on the matter.

Arthur was lying to himself, though. He didn’t keep the border between professionalism and life as well as he thought. Lancelot was a handsome, older man. Arthur could see himself with him. But—

“I did.” He finally admitted. “You treated me more kindly than any other client. All you wanted was my time and inspiration for your books. You could’ve gotten that if you asked me out the moment my shift with you was over. But… you never did. You just kept paying for time with me. To help me. I’m grateful, Lancelot, but if I think of you as more than my client--”

“What’s wrong with that?”

“… I… could slide down a slippery slope when I’m already in someone else’s debt. I’m sorry.”

“I don’t mind waiting a year. You do what you need to.”

“No, it’s not—if I wait for you, I’ll spend every second in bed with Gilgamesh thinking of you. I’ll be going back on my word to him.”

“…”

“I’ll give you this,” Arthur said, finally. “We can’t keep meeting, but if you still feel the same way in a year, you can come see me. We can talk, but by then, I don’t know what my life will be like. Nor will you.”

“Surely you won’t fall for Gilgamesh,” Lancelot laughed somewhat unhappily.

“Not if he keeps this up…” Arthur muttered.

“… seriously, though.”

“No, I don’t think that’ll happen.” Arthur said, finally. “But I’m also not going to play myself by holding onto the idea that we’ll be together in a year. That kind of romanticism isn’t how the real world works.”

Lancelot was about to say he could see it working for himself especially but held his tongue.

“You’re still my ex-client, Lancelot. I can’t…” Arthur put his face in his hand and sighed. “I’m bound to be professional, and I have a lot to be grateful for thanks to Gilgamesh.” Arthur was still lying to himself, but he was forcing himself to speak the truth. He could wait a year, he _could_. Seeing Lancelot’s handsome, sad face like this was breaking him down.

“What you’ve given me now is enough.” Lancelot said finally. “But… can we meet occasionally? Not frequently enough to rouse suspicion, just as friends?”

“Friends. Right, I’m sorely lacking them now.” Arthur nodded. “That’s fine, but act like one, okay? No romance.”

“Right. Have you read my newest book?”

Gilgamesh had been keeping him so busy he hardly had the time. “Not yet. How’s it go?”

“Well, our protagonist finds himself investigating a cult—”

Arthur listened quietly to Lancelot’s passionate voice. His writing was his life, and Arthur was proud that he could be such an influence. He could feel himself warming up despite the cold air around them.

When the two had to go separate ways, Arthur acted on impulse.

He kissed him.

Lancelot was surprised, taken aback even, but when he regained himself he cupped Arthur’s cheek and kissed him back warmly.

“… sorry, sorry, I shouldn’t have done that.”

“No,” Lancelot said quietly. “It’s fine. It’ll have to sate me for a long time.”

Guilt already flooded Arthur’s body as he nodded and bid one final farewell. How was he going to face Gilgamesh? He had been doing so well keeping up this professional façade.

Speaking of, his phone rang the moment he was around the corner. Arthur answered.

“Gilgamesh?”

“Arthur, could you come by my office? On 22nd Street.”

“What for?”

“I’m stressed…” Gilgamesh leaned back in his chair and smiled smugly to himself. “I could use a bit of relaxation.”

Arthur rolled his eyes. “Let me take the puppy home and I’ll drive there.”

“See you soon~”

\--

Gilgamesh’s office practically took up an entire floor. As Arthur entered it, Gilgamesh was sitting at his desk with his feet kicked up onto it, talking into his cell phone about business jargon Arthur couldn’t quite decipher. With a sigh, he hung up, and waltzed over to Arthur to kiss him. His tongue lingered on his lips, and Arthur felt the distinct chill of someone with a secret in front of the one person who could never know it.

“What’s wrong, Pendragon? You seem stiff.”

“Just… a stressful day, same as you.”

“Let’s relax together, shall we?”

For once, Arthur could drown out his feelings with sex instead of simply providing it for someone else. As he pushed Gilgamesh back towards the desk, he kissed him with everything he had, wanting to forget the meeting that morning. Gilgamesh noted that Arthur seemed… hazy, like he was caught up in a dream with his movements, gentle as ever but distracted as hell. Gilgamesh snapped him back to attention.

“Something happen?”

“Yeah.”

“What?”

Arthur wasn’t a good liar, so he opted for the truth. “An ex-client wanted to meet.”

“And you met them, didn’t you?” Gilgamesh asked suspiciously.

“I did. Just to put an end to things.”

“Mhm…” Gilgamesh slid his hands into Arthur’s coat to push it off of him. “And you’re feeling guilty, I take it?”

“How did you know?”

“Because you’re _kind_, Pendragon. The most important thing to remember is that you are mine. You can have as many people singing your praises as you want, but at the end of the day you belong to me.”

“I haven’t forgotten.”

“Good…” Gilgamesh let his next kiss linger on his lips. “Good. I trust you came prepared?”

“Yeah, I have lube and a few condoms. Are you sure we won’t get caught up here?”

“We won’t. No one enters without my permission.” Gilgamesh could feel himself growing fonder of Arthur for the sheer fact that other people wanted him badly enough to seek him out, like a snake that coiled around its prey tighter when something threatened to remove it. The fact that Arthur had seen an ex-client hadn’t soured his mood, it enriched it.

Arthur drowned himself in Gilgamesh’s lips, trying hard to forget that he’d kissed Lancelot of his own free will. He ran his hand up the front of Gilgamesh’s length trying not to compare the two in his mind. He’d get over this, he knew he would, but he had to keep appearances up for the time being. He found it easier to keep his eyes closed when he knelt in front of his desk to blow him, as Gilgamesh planted his foot on his back as he stretched his legs out to give him room.

His fingertips teased his entrance, wet with lube as his tongue fluttered around the base of his cock. Soon, he was guiding himself into him and groaning appreciatively when their hips connected. By now, he’d learned the ins and outs of Gilgamesh’s body, and fucking him had become a hell of a lot easier. He knew the ways he liked to be pleasured, the angles of his thrusts, and the touch of his hands. He tried not to focus on the clear window overlooking the skyline as he fucked him, he just lost himself in the movements and kept going, going—

He was surprised to feel his orgasm build faster than Gilgamesh’s. What was turning him on?

“D—damn it, Pendragon, slow down--!”

“Sorry…!”

“No… no, you’re eager today, aren’t you?” Gilgamesh grinned. “Something on your mind?”

“Just you.” Arthur panted.

“Good.” Gilgamesh stretched out on his desk, looking up at Arthur with an appraising stare. He knew he was lying, but did he care all that much? Not really.

Arthur merely held onto his leg and rode him out, waiting for him to come so he’d have his own permission to. It hit him _hard_, like a crashing wave on the shores outside, and he could feel himself relax as soon as it was done. He gave Gilgamesh an appreciative kiss.

“So…” Gilgamesh asked suddenly, still laying down, but his gaze changed to something sharper. “Who are you thinking of?”

“! I—”

“It’s obvious, _Arthur_. Something has you stirred up and you’re trying to forget about it.”

“Don’t worry about it.”

“Oh? Why shouldn’t I, when I paid so much for you?”

“…”

“… think only of me, Arthur.” He sat up to pat his cheek. “I understand now I can’t buy you with money or gifts, but that leaves me with only one, difficult road; to win you over the slow way. I can’t have anyone else interfering with that.”

“Win me over?” Arthur asked, incredulously.

“I’ve grown fond of you, Arthur. I’d like to keep you.”

Arthur just stared blankly at him.

“So you and I are going to go on a little trip together.”

“What?”

“Pack your things and be ready by 9 AM sharp tomorrow. Find your dog a kennel. We’re going to go somewhere warm, so dress appropriately. Oh, and you don’t need a passport, do you?”

“No, I have one—” Arthur was completely bewildered.

“Good. I can’t wait to have you all to myself.”

Arthur cleaned up the two of them, wondering if he should bring up the fact that his contract negotiated that he had time off if he wanted it, and he didn’t have to go along with every scheme to go out of town with Gilgamesh if he didn’t want to…

… but it was probably for the best to go with what he wanted.

Whatever it was.


	7. Chapter 7

Arthur was clutching a coffee, standing next to his luggage outside his apartment, waiting for Gilgamesh to pick him up.

Ugh, he shouldn’t have agreed to this. There were a million reasons not to. He didn’t want to kennel Cavall II, and his contract specified he had time off—going off on vacations with him was nowhere in his contract. Still, he had a feeling Gilgamesh wouldn’t take no for an answer or invent some really good reason to bring him along. Besides… the idea of going somewhere warm was nice, and if he knew Gilgamesh (he didn’t, but), this was probably an excuse for more sex. Well, that was in his job description.

When Gilgamesh’s car pulled up, his driver came out and threw his luggage into the trunk as Arthur took a seat next to Gil. The man was looking particularly pleased with himself.

“Have you ever been to Fiji?”

“No… no, I haven’t.”

“My family owns a private villa on Naisoso Island. It’ll be our weekend getaway.”

Arthur sighed with relief. A weekend, just that… it was hard to believe this was his job now. Attending to Gilgamesh day in, day out… some people would say it was the life. After all, Gilgamesh gave him money and always made sure he came. What more could you want? If only they knew how draining it was. Especially with someone _like_ Gilgamesh.

Getting through the airport was easy enough, as was boarding Gilgamesh’s father’s private jet. Arthur began to object, saying that this was ostentatious—wasn’t a commercial flight good enough? Gilgamesh wasn’t having it, though. Besides, had Arthur never flown on a private jet before? He might as well get the experience in. Arthur conceded. It was true that he was curious, but he knew what was on Gilgamesh’s mind before they even boarded the flight.

“Ever wanted to join the mile high club?”

“Your libido is as impressive as ever, Gilgamesh.”

“It’s hard being insatiable. Good thing I have the perfect man for the job.”

The interior of the jet was as luxurious as Arthur could have guessed. Possessing a sofa, several lounge chairs and even a meeting room, it was clear that the next sixteen hours were going to be spent in total comfort. It gave Arthur an idea.

“Well, I’m going to take a nap—”

“Are you serious? You’re on the clock, Arthur.”

“I can either be on the clock in Fiji, or on the clock on the plane ride over. I have time off, remember? It was just about to be my day off, too--”

Gilgamesh sounded annoyed. “You’d seriously pass up this opportunity?”

“I seriously could and would.”

Gilgamesh laughed. “You’re getting used to being yourself around me.”

“Getting used to it? You’re just exhausting me. It’s hard to be a prince around you at all times.”

“Good. I like you like this better…” Gilgamesh scooted closer to him, running his hand along his leg and putting on his best seductive look. It was clear he was angling for Arthur to give in, but Arthur merely fluffed his pillow and laid back on the sofa, kicking his legs across Gilgamesh’s lap, who looked scandalized. Apparently not giving up at that, Gilgamesh crawled on top of him and Arthur appraised him like one would a cat nagging its owner for food in the morning.

“Your break starts in Fiji. You’re on the clock now.”

Arthur sighed, but suddenly, both nearly fell off the sofa as the plane came to a sudden start. The ‘buckle up’ light had been on for the last fifteen minutes.

“How about we wait until we’re in the air?”

“Fair…”

\--

As they reached maximum altitude, Gil reclaimed his position on Arthur’s lap, who finally relented to this horny 24-year-old’s whims. Hands roamed along one another’s bodies, Arthur steadily getting excited to do this in such a new place—mostly, he gave Gilgamesh guff for his enthusiasm because he appreciated seeing the real Arthur. With a normal client, he would quietly go along with it, but Gilgamesh’s desire to see the true him was refreshing and the true him was honestly worn out from all the sex. It wasn’t like he didn’t _enjoy it_, though. Gilgamesh kept things fresh.

“What’s on the menu today?” Arthur breathed over the wet skin on his neck.

“I’ve never given you head before, I’m tempted.”

“Are you sure you don’t want to mix things up?”

“And how, Arthur, would we do that? Your little box of toys is back home.”

“Let me eat you out.”

…! Was that a blush on Gilgamesh’s face? He’d stopped Arthur from doing it before. “Really?”

“Do you not want me to?”

“Go for it.” He regained his composure, wanting to appear as unruffled as possible. “I just—”

“Hm?”

“I have an idea. Sixty-nine?”

“You really do want to go down on me, then?”

“I figure you deserve _some_ reward for your hard work.”

Arthur laid back, waiting for Gilgamesh to kick off his pants and climb on top of him. He could feel him working the zipper on the front of his pants, wondering if he’d ever deigned to give anyone head before or if he’d just received all this time—spreading him gently, he licked up his perineum before teasing his hole with his tongue. Gilgamesh shuddered, unused to the sensation but appreciative of it all the same. As he wrapped his lips around the head of Arthur’s cock, Arthur got the distinct sensation of a lack of practice. That was… rather cute, to see Gilgamesh go somewhere he wasn’t used to, for as much as he built himself up as a playboy, to see him have some inexperience somewhere was refreshing.

Arthur dragged his tongue upward, rolling it in a teasing motion, distracting Gilgamesh from his task at hand. He could feel himself harden beneath Gil’s grip, which was now just a little too tight thanks to his ministrations.

“Feeling okay?”

“I’m _fine,”_ Gilgamesh asserted, trying to prove it by taking the head into his mouth. He moaned around him as Arthur’s tongue entered him, and determined not to look like an amateur, he started to bob his head. He couldn’t take in nearly as much as Arthur did—how did he make it look so easy when he did it to him? He should be a master, damn it! Well, it wasn’t like he had much practice—

Just as that thought crossed his head, turbulence rocked the plane, knocking Arthur’s cock all the way to the back of his throat and leaving Gilgamesh sputtering and gagging. Arthur couldn’t help but burst out laughing.

“I thought you bragged to me once you have no gag reflex?”

“Dirty talk…” Gilgamesh wheezed, trying to regain his breath.

“Tell the truth next time!”

Gilgamesh squeezed his cock gently, a bit annoyed his smooth plan wasn’t working out so smoothly. “I’ll get you to come if it’s the last thing I do—”

“Now you’re making me want to hold back on purpose.”

“By all means, make it a challenge!”

Arthur responded with his own taunt, pressing his tongue deeply into him as Gilgamesh shivered again. Determined not to be left speechless, he redoubled his efforts, this time focusing on licking him up and down so he wouldn’t choke this time around.

“If you don’t take it in, it won’t feel as good…”

“I don’t need you telling me that!”

“Stressed?” Arthur was now getting the grasp of bullying him. Gilgamesh was nothing but a mess of words, undone by Arthur’s technique as he quickly tried to regain his focus. Arthur merely focused on his rhythm, teasing him with eyes closed as he responded to Gilgamesh’s movements by mirroring them with his tongue. It was an effective technique. Gilgamesh was more than responsive to it, and eventually found his own motions coming more naturally.

“Mmph—”

“Don’t talk with your mouth full.”

“—I said, are you close? My jaw hurts.”

“Ah. You know a fraction of what I go through.”

“Hmph! I guess I don’t give you enough credit for your _work_—”

“You sure don’t,” Arthur added a finger to his efforts, taking Gilgamesh by surprise. Wanting to get him off quickly before turbulence hit again, Gilgamesh increased his tempo. Sucking someone off was tiring, but not unrewarding, work.

He was startled by the sudden taste of salt and something odd on his tongue, whipping his head back and spitting. Arthur started laughing _uncontrollably_. He’d had the very same reaction the first time he’d done it in college.

“And you make me swallow!” Arthur exclaimed. “Just think about that next time.”

“Whatever—just get me off.”

Arthur wrapped his hand around Gilgamesh’s cock and quickly stroked him off as he teased his tongue back in, and Gilgamesh couldn’t hold off for very long. Making a neat mess of Arthur’s shirt as he came, Gilgamesh slouched against Arthur’s torso. Arthur smacked him hard on the ass, causing him to jolt up.

“I’m cleaning up, so get your ass off me.”

Gilgamesh lazily obliged, finding his pants on the ground.

“Well… that’s a half-hour of sixteen hours out of the way.”

Arthur sighed. “… you might as well leave them off, then, shouldn’t you.”

“Oh? Round two?”

“I have to join the Mile High club, don’t I?”

“You think what we just did doesn’t count?”

“I want to get into the club properly.” Unprompted, Arthur took hold of his wrist and kissed it.

“You’re past the point of needing to butter me up, Arthur.”

“I know, I know.”

“So you want to do this of your own volition? What happened to your nap?”

“It can wait until later if you have no objections?”

Gilgamesh smirked.

“None at all.”

\--

They eventually did pass out on the sofa, but at least they did it fully dressed. That would’ve been a nightmare for the pilot, Arthur thought.

The two had woken up just in time to arrive at their airport. Looking absolutely disheveled, they did the walk of shame to the luggage claim and got their things. It was a car ride to Naisoso “island”, next, and then whatever Gilgamesh wanted, for how long he wanted it.

Actually, no.

“So, my day off begins now,” Arthur announced, checking his watch.

“What?”

“You said I was on the clock for the plane ride. That gives me time off now.”

Gilgamesh cursed his own words but conceded. “I did say that, didn’t I? Very well. Let’s get situated at the villa, first.”

It barely needed description, it was as posh as everything else in Gilgamesh’s life and completely empty. Two stories, windows on all sides overlooking the beaches and ocean. Arthur could hardly believe that it was like this whenever someone wasn’t living in it. Just… alone. How many houses did one person need?

Arthur was ready to sleep off his jetlag when Gilgamesh asked something curious.

“So… do you want to hang out?”

“Hm?”

“Arthur, are you simply going to walk around all by yourself on a strange island you don’t know just to get away from me? The least I can do is show you around.”

“I spend my time off from Gilgamesh by spending more time with Gilgamesh…” Still, it was a valuable opportunity. To teach Gilgamesh what he was like off the clock. “Yeah, you know what? Sure.”

He hadn’t actually anticipated Arthur to agree.

The Naisoso Island part of the main island was dedicated to real estate for the fabulously wealthy and those on vacation. Strolling along the docks in an open jacket and swim trunks, Gilgamesh would tell him how he’d come here every year with his family until he turned about twenty and started coming without them. Arthur rolled his eyes—typical rich kid stuff. He didn’t even know how good he had it.

“You know what I would do for a vacation?”

“What?”

“We’d go to London and visit old churches. See where the dead kings were buried.”

“That sounds awful.”

“Educational!” Arthur exclaimed. “And we couldn’t afford to go out of the country, so it was all me and Artoria got.”

“Dead_ kings_,” Gilgamesh scoffed. “I thought your passport was surprisingly barren. I just assumed it was a new one. Guess I’ll have to take you with me all over the world. Who’s Artoria?”

“My sister.”

“Your parents named you Arthur and Artoria.”

“Yes, and they’re dead, so don’t go judging them.”

“—hm.” Arthur could tell he wasn’t about to apologize, but the pause was still there. “I’ve sponsored an orphan?”

“Oi, don’t talk about me like I’m younger than you.”

“Not at all. I’m just… surprised. Didn’t they leave you an estate?”

“Funerals are costly. It didn’t leave us with a lot after, considering the hospital bills…”

Gilgamesh really was used to the idea that his parents would pass away and leave an unfathomable amount of money that he hadn’t really considered what poor people did. Did he pity Arthur? He didn’t think that was what Arthur was getting at. He was trying to show him he was from an entirely different world.

“Are you going to help your sister with the money you’ve earned?”

“Of course. I plan to buy a nice house in the countryside once my time is up with you. It’s a dream to be able to retire so young.”

“Retire? You don’t plan to do anything else with your life?”

“I—” Arthur paused. “I haven’t thought that far ahead. You just sort of leaped into my life.”

“Thank goodness, hm?”

“Why did you do it?”

Arthur stopped Gil as they were walking.

“Why did you choose me and pay so much for me?”

“Hm. You just suited my needs. I was impressed with your work and wanted more. Nothing special about it.”

Arthur thought for a moment he was telling the truth, but nothing was ever that cut and dry with Gilgamesh.

“Anyway,” Gilgamesh moved on quickly, Arthur noted. “Tell me more about your sad childhood.”

“Most people don’t ask so frankly. Or rudely.”

“I don’t beat around the bush.”

Arthur sighed. “Nothing much to it. Parents died in a car accident; mum lingering in the hospital for months while we buried our father. Artoria let me take what I could to America so I could attend my dream school, but… the people I borrowed from screwed me over when I refinanced. I ended up owing so much more, but not anymore.”

“How did you become an escort?”

“I… well, I knew this girl in my class and she talked to me while I was worrying over money problems. She confided in me where she worked. I thought immediately she was involved in something shady, but it ended up being … less dodgy than I thought. I gave it a trial run, and the money was too good to stop.”

So it was that kind of sad story… Gilgamesh was glad to snap him up when he did.

“Anyway, I don’t want to talk about how my life doesn’t measure up to yours.”

“No, it’s… interesting. Did you ever talk to your other clients about it?”

“Are you kidding? If I depressed them like that, I would never have clients. Besides, I don’t like getting personal with clients.”

“Why are you being personal with me?”

“Because we’re on my time, now.” Arthur stood at the edge of the dock, staring out at the sea. “And… you asked.”

“No one else asked?”

“No one.” Not even Lancelot. Arthur hadn’t considered telling him, not when he was trying to sell an image so dedicatedly.

“You were the prince for everyone, then.”

“That’s right. In the industry, you have to have a niche. I just fit the corner of ‘princely’ and that’s how I got my clients.”

“I see…” Gilgamesh tapped his chin. He really had gotten Arthur at the right time, he could sense that all of this was weighing on Arthur. Why else would he tell him? “Well, no reason to act any longer.”

Arthur looked incredulous. “I have _every_ reason to keep acting. You don’t get it.”

“Oh?” An amused grin crossed his face. “What don’t I get?”

“We’re client and escort. I’m still under your command—you have _power_ over me. Everything I’ve done up until now has been your _bidding_. You _bought_ me. We’re not friends, Gilgamesh. You don’t see me as an equal.”

That left Gilgamesh speechless. It was true, and it kind of hurt! Even though Arthur was clearly the one who was suffering under the strain of a contract, Gilgamesh really didn’t see him as an equal. He wasn’t on the same social standing and he’d been bought fair and square. This Arthur really had shed the prince persona—spitting truth at him with no regard for his feelings.

“You’re only getting this because you asked to spend time with me off the clock. No one has ever done that with me before.”

“I… see.” Sensing he was losing footing, he quickly brought himself back up. “Well, no matter, hm? It’s as you say. Client and escort. I expect nothing but professionalism when you’re working with me, even if I like seeing it break down. You are infinitely more interesting when you rebel.”

“… just like a…”

“What? Use your words, Pendragon.”

“Just like a pet. You still really are no different.”

“…” This conversation wasn’t going the way he wanted it to. Arthur could tell he was trying, but it wasn’t enough. He needed something more than a chat along a beach to change his mind on Gil. “You’re right, Arthur, we aren’t equals. Not yet.”

Arthur scoffed. “You called me something other than Pendragon, for once.”

“I’m warming up to you. Come, there’s a bar I’d like to show you. You seem like you need a drink.”

As the two walked back along the docks and to a beachside bar, Arthur stared into his drink and tried to figure out one last thing to say to Gilgamesh before he went back on the clock.

In the end, it was better left unsaid.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the shortness + no smut this chapter! It ended up being more about character development than anything else.

Arthur sat by the bar with a fifth drink in his hand.

He and Gil had been drinking the night away, trying to forget how terse their previous conversation had gotten. Now Gil had moved onto talking about his various exploits, and while he was absolutely a braggart through and through, Arthur found himself listening intently. It’s rare to meet someone with so many opportunities that they have plenty of stories to share, but Arthur got the impression that Gilgamesh’s wealth did little to fulfill him. It was a means to an end, a door to open other opportunities. Gilgamesh didn’t pride himself on being rich, he prided himself on being a cultured man.

It was a strange thing to discover about someone you’d been fucking for so long. Arthur downed the rest of his drink and gave Gilgamesh a curious look. He’d gathered something of a crowd with his good looks and riveting storytelling—a girl was trying to parse whether or not Arthur was his plus-one when Gilgamesh suddenly put an arm around his shoulders and answered that question for her. Arthur wasn’t sure why it would bother him. If Gilgamesh wanted to run off with another girl for the rest of the evening, that was his business… but it seemed like he had no intention of doing that.

Arthur wasn’t sure about the strange feeling that gave him, that Gilgamesh felt the need to assert that Arthur was his to a group of people showing interest in him. Was it a mix of pride and anxiety that he felt pride in the first place? It felt _good_. Weird. Or maybe it was just the alcohol talking? Hell if he knew.

Arthur didn’t feel like drinking until the morning, but by the time he stood on his feet, he realized he was drunk. The way the world had a subtle sway was unmistakable, and he was quick to learn that Gil was a rowdy, boisterous drunk. By the time 3 AM rolled by, he’d run out of stories he cared to tell and was slipping his arm around Arthur’s waist to hold himself up.

“Have enough to drink?” Arthur chided as he, too, didn’t feel himself sobering up anytime soon.

“I could keep going, buuut…” Gilgamesh’s drawl carried on for a few moments, before snapping back to attention. “I’d rather spend time with you. I hated how everyone was looking at you.”

“Me? They were all paying attention to you!”

“Feh! You should really pay more attention to yourself, Arthur. It was a distraction to get their eyes off you.”

“A ruse?” Arthur mumbled back, lost in his mind, trying not to derail the conversation.

“A ruse cruise, yes.”

“You are so damn drunk. Sober Gilgamesh wouldn’t let the words ‘ruse cruise’ leave his mouth.”

“Sober Gilgamesh can deal.”

Outside their villa, where Arthur was amazed he remembered the right one, Gilgamesh fumbled with his keys to unlock the door and stumble in. Arthur, being the less drunk of the two but not by much, helped him up the stairs to the bedroom—only to be surprised by Gilgamesh pulling him down with him on the bed into a rum-infused kiss. Arthur found himself absentmindedly kissing back before he realized—wait.

“You should probably go to bed, we both should.”

“Mmm, no.” Gilgamesh was suddenly more _handsy _than usual, feeling up Arthur’s sides and generously groping his chest. “I’m all wound up from all those people staring at you. I won’t be able to sleep if I don’t stake my claim.”

“You’ve already done that pretty clearly for the past few months, rest.”

Gilgamesh sat up and pressed another kiss on him, encouraging Arthur to participate and it was working. Something about the drinks loosened him up from his usual routine. When he’d usually be firmly saying ‘goodnight’, something about Gilgamesh was drawing him in—or the alcohol had made him more amenable.

“Thanks, by the way.” Arthur pushed him against the bed.

“Hm?”

“For bringing me here.”

“It felt like you needed a vacation.”

Usually, the vacation would be away from Gilgamesh, but Arthur didn’t bother to correct him now. He was enjoying his company, for the most part. He dipped down to kiss him, stopping a hair’s breadth from his lips, remembering how he kissed Lancelot without even thinking. Before he could pull up and away, Gilgamesh closed the distance between their mouths and hungrily drank his fill of his lips, nibbling his lower lip and enticing Arthur to come back down, but for Arthur, the mood had already been sabotaged.

“Get some sleep.” Arthur sat up and walked to the other side of the bed, pulling back the covers and slipping between them. “And lay on your side just in case you get sick.”

Gilgamesh huffed, clearly annoyed with Arthur for spoiling his fun, but he obeyed this time around, thinking that the sex couldn’t be that good when he might not even remember it the next morning. Eventually, he drifted off, and Arthur was left alone with his thoughts, staring up at the ceiling.

Damn it.

\--

Arthur woke up the next morning to find Gilgamesh with a bag of groceries in the kitchen. It seemed like all he did was get some eggs from the nearby store—and he was hastily cracking one into a small glass to make a prairie oyster.

“You know that’s an urban legend, right?”

“What…?”

“Prairie oysters. There’s nothing they can do that aspirin can’t do a hundred times better.”

“I guess I’ll just keep believing in fairytales, then,” Gilgamesh raised his glass to him before tipping back the nasty concoction. “How’d you sleep?”

“Like crap. Do you have anything in here we could have for breakfast?”

“Eggs. It’s not like we keep the house stocked full of food when we’re away from it for so long.”

Arthur got a pan down from a decorative hook on the wall and set it on the burner. Thankfully, there was butter that hadn’t gone bad yet and a few spices that he suspected had never been used before. He could still make a decent scrambled egg.

“What would you like?”

“Oh? I was hoping we could go to breakfast at one of the restaurants nearby.”

“Not like this.”

“I suppose… hey.”

“Hey what?”

“Why didn’t you want to have sex last night?”

Arthur rolled his eyes. “It’s usually messy. I’ve had drunk clients before, I don’t like it.”

Gilgamesh studied him quietly, pulling his blanket around his shoulders. There was more to it than that, wasn’t there?

“Drunk clients…”

“All kinds of clients.” Arthur plated his eggs as soon as they were done frying and searched around for the utensil drawer. “But the drunk ones were usually the worst.”

“Hmm…”

“What’s up?”

“Nothing, I just don’t tend to think about your life before I walked in.”

Arthur laughed. “It’s better that you don’t. You might lose the magic.”

Gilgamesh said nothing, instead walking with Arthur to the living room and flipping on the television, changing the channel until he reached one that was in English. He pretended to focus on the TV, but really, all he could do was focus on Arthur. It was true that he hadn’t thought much about Arthur’s life, but he probably had all kinds of clients Gilgamesh didn’t even want to think about ever having touched him. That was just the kind of job it was.

“Who was your favorite client? Before me, obviously.”

Arthur absentmindedly answered in between bites. “A novelist.”

“Oh?”

“He was kind to me. Didn’t want to have sex, just wanted to talk and go on dates. He was pretty handsome, too.”

Gilgamesh bristled, but Arthur continued.

“I don’t know if he saw the real me, though… if he just liked what I presented myself as.”

“Hmph! I guess I have that side of you all to myself. If he never saw the real you, how can you be so sure he’d like it?”

Lancelot, in all of his kindness, was someone Arthur couldn’t predict. He didn’t want to think of himself as too different from ‘the Prince’ that Lancelot wouldn’t like him anymore, but at the same time, he still kept up the act around him. Even though there was no reason to anymore.

“I guess I can’t be sure at all.” There was only a tinge of sadness in Arthur’s voice, but it was just that. To think everyone he knew in America only knew him for the fake persona he put on instead of what he really was like… except for Gilgamesh, who had pushed and pushed and pushed relentlessly to see the other side of him.

“… I guess I’m lucky, then.”

“Lucky?”

“Lucky to get to see the real you.”

“I don’t know if it’s luck so much as determination.”

“Whatever it is, I’m glad to have it.”

Those were surprisingly tender words from Gil. Arthur couldn’t help but stare at him for a moment before fixating on the TV. “Hey, Gilgamesh.”

“What?”

“Ruse cruise.”

Gilgamesh winced immediately, scowling as he remembered his own words. “_Ugh_.”

“Told you sober Gilgamesh would never say that.”

\--

The rest of their vacation was spent on the beach, Arthur paying attention to a book he’d brought along with him as he relaxed to the sound of crashing waves. Gilgamesh focused on getting a full-body tan and for the most part, succeeded. As thunder started to crack in the distance, the two headed back for their last night in the villa surrounded by a rainstorm. The peaceful sound of rain beating against the glass windows was enough to lull Arthur into nearly sleeping, were it not for Gilgamesh demanding his attention.

“Am I back on the clock?” Arthur yawned.

“You tell me.” Gilgamesh was taking his time unzipping the front of Arthur’s still rain-soaked jacket before feeling up what was inside of it. Arthur sighed. He supposed they spent this vacation with less sex than he’d anticipated.

“C’mere,” Arthur dragged him down into a kiss, which Gilgamesh fought his way out of to kiss down Arthur’s throat, down his chest, and down his abdomen. Ever since Arthur told that story, he’d been contemplating how physical affection worked with Arthur—what he appreciated instead of taking it as a job.

“What do you really like, Arthur? I doubt it’s just cowgirl and blondes.”

“Hmm…” Arthur’s hand rested on top of Gilgamesh’s head, a faint dusting of pink across his cheeks as Gilgamesh’s tongue dragged along his nipple. “I like being paid five million dollars to fuck a billionaire heir for a year.”

“I know there’s nothing more erotic than that, but be serious.”

“I like—” Arthur stopped after that, realizing that he didn’t have things he liked so much as things he did for his clients. If there was one thing Arthur truly prized, it would be a romantic connection with someone. Getting close for the sake of love, not money. Perhaps that was why he asked Lancelot to have sex with him back when he was still his client—he’d mistaken his professional relationship for genuine interest back when he was still a greenhorn when it came to escort service. If Gilgamesh wanted to really get him off, he’d have to be a lover.

“Don’t worry about what I like,” He said, finally. “You just get to do what you want, okay?”

Gilgamesh sat up, frustrated with his answer. “No, really. You thought of something just now, but you don’t want to say it?”

Seen through like the glass walls surrounding them. “I… think my kink is love.”

“Love?” Gilgamesh laughed. Arthur frowned.

“You’ve never been in love?”

“No, and thank god for that. What are you getting at?”

“Nothing—just… nothing. Forget I said anything.”

Gilgamesh looked at him for a long, long time, before sighing and getting off of him.

“Let’s pack our things.”

\--

The rain had cleared by the next day, leaving the two of them in the private jet alone together, quietly pondering what the other had said in uncomfortable silence. Arthur was a bit worried he’d upset him, and Gilgamesh wasn’t giving any hints about why. It was Arthur who broke the silence.

“Sorry for making things weird. I won’t do it again.”

“…”

… so it was back to being the Prince again. Back at square one.

“Arthur, what you said both bothered me and didn’t.”

“…? What do you mean by that?”

“Our relationship is strictly professional, but the idea that I can’t please you bothers me. I have given you everything you could ever want. To think that it’s not enough yet…”

“Because you’re paying for it.”

“Eh?”

“It’s all money with you. Why don’t you ever consider not spending money? And doing what you did on the island with me?”

“What I did…?”

“Ask for my time. I won’t say no—most of the time, anyway—and I wouldn’t mind having a few friends.” Arthur looked outside the airplane window. “I realize we’re supposed to be professional. And I can do that, if that’s what you want, but it sounds like that’s not what you want.”

“A friend, hm?” Gilgamesh paused before giving his answer. “Then come visit my home next time you’re free. We can…”

“… hang out?”

“Whatever it is you wish to do.”

Gilgamesh was so disconnected from the world, in a place of wealth and luxury, that he didn’t really understand friendship as much as he seemed to want Arthur’s. He had friends, of course—Enkidu was one of them, who kept him mostly grounded, but he was unable to connect with people outside of them. Arthur couldn’t help but chuckle at Gilgamesh’s attempt at bridging the gap between them. He was trying, which was refreshing, but it was frustrating too.

“I’ll look forward to it.”


	9. Chapter 9

Arthur’s own words were starting to bother him.

_“I… think my kink is love.”_

So stupid. Why had he said that? Nothing was worse than making a client feel like they couldn’t satisfy you! Part of the reason for getting in bed with a pretty guy like him was thinking you could impress him somehow, show him something he’s never seen before. The truth was, Arthur had seen enough to suit him for a lifetime. He didn’t particularly want to explore any new avenues of sex that he hadn’t already trodden down.

Why was he still in contact with Lancelot? Well, he felt drawn to him, for one. He was the only client he ever got close to. The only one he ever gave his real name and number, mostly because Lancelot was only in this to _help him_, and to satisfy whatever writer’s urge he had. In retrospect, letting him get that close was a mistake. Now Lancelot was in love with him, and Arthur didn’t know how far that went. Not only that, he’d issued Gilgamesh a challenge in saying that his ‘kink’ was love—to win him over, and Arthur wasn’t particularly sure if he even wanted that.

He contemplated calling Artoria, whose advice would be simple without knowing the full context of the situation—‘dump him’.

That wouldn’t be helpful. He’d have to call her another time.

Still, acknowledging that he wanted love had awoken an itch for it inside of him. Between the two men contending for his affection, it would be messy to get involved with either of them. Gilgamesh was the more obvious choice—pursue him, and he’d be set for life. Lancelot just wouldn’t leave Arthur’s mind though… how softly he had kissed him back was still stuck in his mind.

He needed to get this out of his system, now. He found himself dialing Gilgamesh’s number.

“Talk to me,” Gilgamesh answered without a single hello.

“Hey—” Arthur began, feeling himself stall for a moment. “I was wondering if you’re free today?”

“I can be,” Arthur never called on him before, instead of the other way around. What gives? “Missing me already?”

“It’s just been a while since we…” Already, it was almost April, and Gilgamesh hadn’t touched him since their vacation. “and I wanted to take you up on your offer to hang out. I’ve never seen your house before.”

“I _have_ missed you…” Gilgamesh didn’t seem to care who in his office would overhear his voice. He was hot for his new ‘boyfriend’ and everyone who worked there knew it, given Arthur’s frequent and noisy house calls. “Okay. Be ready in an hour, I’ll come pick you up.”

\--

It was a long car ride, with Gilgamesh mostly on the phone doing business-related things. If he was taking off early for the day, he had to make up for it somehow, so Arthur spent his time leaning against the window and watching the city scenery change to a lavish neighborhood with sprawling mansions. Real estate in this area was particularly expensive, but money, as always, was just monopoly dollars to Gilgamesh.

As the imported red car pulled up into the crescent-shaped driveway, Arthur got out and admired the scenery. It was a beautiful brick house that was frankly massive—the gardens were being prepped for the new season, and the surrounding elegant landscaping had made up for the lack of color thanks to the recent snows. It was truly beautiful, but Arthur realized with a sudden pang that he might be meeting Gilgamesh’s parents here. Suddenly, he’d have to make an impression.

“Feel free to admire it all you like, but I’d much prefer to get you to my bedroom.” Gilgamesh took him by the wrist and basically dragged him up the steps as Arthur tried to steel his nerves to meet his parents.

“Are your mum and dad—”

“No.”

Oh, thank god.

“Why, Arthur? Did you want to meet them?”

“It’s fine…! I just wanted to know if I had to make a good impression.”

Gilgamesh seemed a little distracted for a moment before a butler opened the door for them. “Sure, right.”

Was something up with his parents? Arthur followed him up the stairs, looking at the portraits that lined the hallways. Gilgamesh was old money—he came from a lineage of people who were basically kings of business. His father had been the only son, and Gilgamesh, in turn, was his only child. Therefore, Arthur was staring at a lot of cute pictures of a younger Gilgamesh, who looked so much more innocent than his current counterpart. To think when they were little, they were leading such different lives…

Right, Arthur was here to get that ‘love’ nonsense off his mind. As soon as they were inside his room, Arthur took his hand and kissed it. Usually, Gilgamesh vehemently denied any treatment from the ‘Prince’, but he seemed to like this… as Arthur kissed the inner part of his wrist and palm, Gilgamesh stroked his face.

“Always aiming to impress…”

“How may I serve you today?” That glimmer in Arthur’s eyes always drew him in. Damn it.

“Let’s play together,” Gil let out a soft ‘hmm’ and pulled him in for a quick kiss. “With a few new toys.”

“Oh…?”

“I want to put you in control.”

Gilgamesh opened a drawer with a few interesting things in it—and ended up pulling out rope and toy that Arthur immediately recognized. They were egg-shaped vibrators you could insert and control with a remote.

“How familiar are you with shibari, Arthur?”

“Enough that I know the average way to tie it." It had been a popular request with clients, so he tasked himself with learning how to do it.

“Good. Strip me and tie me up.”

Arthur obeyed, taking considerable amounts of time doing the knots just perfectly, hearing Gilgamesh’s appreciative groans every time the rope tightened around him. “I thought you liked to restrict _me_?”

“Sometimes, you need a change of pace.” As Arthur finished up the knots, Gilgamesh sat against the head of the bed, testing out Arthur’s handiwork—as expected, he could barely move his wrists an inch from where they were secured. Good. Arthur didn’t need any further instruction than that. Leaning in to kiss him, he started to prod him with lubed-up fingers, stretching him so that he could insert the first vibrating bullet. Gilgamesh’s breath was caught in his throat as Arthur switched it on.

“Having fun?” Arthur had taken a seat on the opposite end of the bed so he could watch and appreciate the sight. He knew this was all about being seen in a vulnerable position, an almost exhibitionist kink. Arthur punctuated his question by turning up the dial just a little bit.

“--! It’s…” Gilgamesh was hardening already, turned on by the sight of Arthur looking him over. “I’d be having more fun if you came over and used your hands—”

“Oh, no, this is all about _not_ touching you.” Another press of the dial. “I want to see how far you can go with this before coming.”

“Ggh--!”

Gilgamesh panted, taunted by Arthur’s quickening and slowing of the vibration deep inside of him, adjusting it like a pro in response to his body. It was tormenting in the most pleasing way, to just sit there and be _watched_ by Arthur as he writhed in response to just a turn of a dial.

“We should do this in public next time.” Arthur crawled forward on the bed, and Gilgamesh hoped, prayed he might start using his hands to help get him off, but instead, he just inserted a second vibrator and took the remote for that and put it on a different setting than the first, slow and pulsating as the other vibrated fast and furiously. He cried out in absolute agony and bliss—this was torture! And yet, Arthur didn’t back away. He watched as his face contorted with pleasure, leaning in even to kiss him. God, did Gilgamesh want to palm his crotch and see how hard he was—a glance low revealed that there was a tent in his pants, and Gilgamesh smirked—so he _wasn’t_ completely unaffected by this!

“How would you like that, Gilgamesh? Sitting at a café or in a movie theater while I play with these remotes… playing it cool while I stir you up inside.” Sheer dominance rose in Arthur’s voice, as Gilgamesh quickly learned how much he was enjoying this. “You’d like it, wouldn’t you?”

Arthur suddenly turned both dials to the maximum setting as Gilgamesh quaked. “P-Pendragon, don’t you dare—”

“Don’t I dare _what_.”

“… nevermind, just—put your hands on me. Fuck me.”

“Ask a little more nicely,” Arthur turned back the dial on both remotes.

“…” Gilgamesh looked at him and through gritted teeth, uttered one word. “_Please_.”

Arthur tugged on the little cords connected to the vibrators and pulled them out, one after the other as Gilgamesh braced himself for the sudden lack of sensation. Arthur wouldn’t leave him wanting, though—he unzipped his pants and pressed his erection into him with a roughness that came with impatience. Gilgamesh keened with excitement.

“I’ve never seen you so eager—” He whispered as Arthur began to fuck him. Truly, Arthur was hoping to bury his own feelings with this. If he just drowned out how much he wanted an emotional connection with a physical connection, maybe he could ignore it. Gilgamesh was hopelessly overstimulated from the vibrators and knew he would come quickly, but even as Arthur filled him, he did his best to hold off.

“It’s like a switch flipped. I don’t… know what’s come over me either,” Arthur panted.

Gilgamesh fought valiantly against his bonds, trying to undo them with desperation, but there was no getting out. As the ropes rubbed angry burns onto his skin with each of Arthur’s thrusts, every sensation was just too much to bear. He came, right down the front of Arthur’s shirt.

Arthur hardly cared. He kept fucking him for all he was worth, staring into those red eyes and searching for something as Gilgamesh caught his breath, panting up at him. He owed this man a debt, he owed him his life, he owed him—

Arthur came in harsh, rolling waves as his hips twitched involuntarily for the last few motions. Sighing and breathing harshly, he still held onto the underside of Gilgamesh’s legs as he regained his composure.

“Are you going to get me out of this rope?”

“I don’t know how to untie you.”

“Ha ha, very—”

“I’m serious. I had to cut my client out of the rope last time I used it.”

Gilgamesh stared at him for a few moments, then groaned.

“There’s scissors in the drawer.”

“Thanks.”

\--

Once they’d cleaned up and Gilgamesh was free of his bonds, Arthur sat on the edge of his bed after taking off the blanket to get washed. It was fulfilling in the moment, but… how he felt hadn’t really changed. Gilgamesh could tell something was off, as he leaned on Arthur’s shoulders from behind and wrapped his arms around them, mouth just inches away from his ear.

“Do you want to spend an evening on the town?”

“I should really go home…”

“Nonsense. I’ve never taken you to my favorite club before. They always have a private booth squared away for me.”

“My clothes are a mess,” Arthur persisted. “And I don’t like leaving Cavall alone for too long—"

“When are you going to stop making excuses? Something’s wrong.”

“No, nothing’s wrong.”

Gilgamesh was sharper than Arthur gave him credit for. “You’re still hung up on what we talked about on vacation, aren’t you?”

“…!”

“You’re so easy to see through, Arthur, but don’t worry. I’ll take care of everything. Just come with me tonight.”

\--

Thank goodness it was a low key club and not one thrumming with dancers, drugs, and music. Arthur couldn’t help but admire how elegant it was—initially, he thought it had a plain exterior but the moment they opened the doors, it was to a red-carpeted, ivory-walled jazz palace, where people were sitting and relaxing with a few drinks left and right. He suddenly felt completely underdressed for the occasion, seeing women sit in elegant, jewel-studded dresses that made him suddenly flash back to the Royal Icing Gilgamesh made him wear.

The couple was seated in a booth towards the back, away from prying eyes as Gilgamesh sat close to Arthur, putting an arm around his shoulder and slipping a hand into his shirt. Such a brazen display of ownership. Arthur couldn’t help but blush, which clearly amused Gilgamesh.

“Come on, relax. I was hoping we could talk here.”

“About?”

“Us… and what you plan on doing in the future.”

“I…” To be honest, or to trot out his princely behavior again? “I told you, I want to buy a house in the countryside back home.”

“You wouldn’t stay for me?”

“I—” Arthur swallowed. “I mean, I can’t have this job forever, can I? We’re from two different worlds! Someone’s bound to dig up where I come from eventually--”

“True, that could cause some problems for me,” Gilgamesh was quite generously feeling him up, now that Arthur noticed. “But I’m well equipped to deal with the risks.”

“Isn’t there anyone in your world you’d prefer having?”

“If there was, would I bother getting you?”

“… point, but still.”

“I’m going to go to the bar. I’ll bring you back something to drink.”

Arthur was alone in the booth, suddenly. He noticed his phone had been vibrating with the occasional text message buzz, and quickly entered his password into the lock screen.

_-L: Arthur?_

_-L: Are you there? You’ve been gone for a long time._

_-A: I was on vacation for a bit._

_-L: Oh? Where?_

_-A: Fiji._

_-L: With your………_

_-A: Yes._

_-L: I see._

The ‘typing’ icon lit up with occasional breaks, hinting that Lancelot was typing and backspacing several times.

_-L: Would you like to visit my place whenever you have time off?_

_-L: I’d like for you to read the next draft of my novel._

_-A: Sure, I’d like that._

_-A: Gotta go_

Arthur quickly put his cellphone back in his pocket as Gilgamesh passed him an amber drink. “Amaretto sour. I didn’t know what you liked, so I went with the most basic.”

“I’m actually pretty fond of these. Thank you.”

A stretch of silence passed between them as Gilgamesh put his arm over the back of their sofa and faced Arthur.

“So… I want to know what makes you tick, Arthur.”

“Excuse me?”

“Ever since our vacation, I can feel something’s changed between us. Maybe I’m just getting used to the real you. Maybe you’re getting used to showing it to me, but I like what I see.”

“It’d be a real shame if you didn’t.”

“Wouldn’t it? Either way, I’m thinking of the future, Arthur. I’m wondering if I can cut you a deal to make this arrangement go on for a bit longer than a deal.”

Arthur swallowed audibly. One year was the time limit he gave Lancelot. Five million dollars was more than enough to live off of. He wasn’t a greedy man, and his time was worth more than money. Arthur sighed.

“There you go again…”

“Hm?”

“If you want to make this last, say so instead of trying to put it in business terms. Don’t ‘cut me a deal’. Talk to me. Say that you like me.”

Gilgamesh leaned back, brow furrowed. Arthur continued.

“Because I will feel more _valuable_ to you if you do that. Money can’t buy you everything, Gilgamesh. It got you one year of my time, but any more than that, you’ll have to earn.”

“That answer is so typical of you… and yet, I like it. I like you, Arthur. I want to go on more dates like this, without the sex or anything to go along with it.”

Arthur thought of Lancelot, staring off into the distance for but a moment before regaining himself. “You do?”

“I don’t need to say it again, do I? You’re interesting, Arthur.” He finished off the rest of his glass before setting it aside. “But I’m going to be busy for the next couple of weeks. I have business I have to attend to. Stuff I can’t cancel, it’s tedious but necessary.”

Arthur paused. “I could go back home and see Artoria for a while…”

“Give her my regards, won’t you? Here.” He leaned in with Arthur and held his phone up, snapping a picture of the two of them. “A photo you can show her of your new boyfriend.”

“Great…” Arthur heard the ‘ding!’ as soon as Gilgamesh had sent it to his phone. Artoria would ask him what the hell he was doing traipsing around with a billionaire and if he was a stuck up rich socialite—which he was—but he had to consider the future. There was a very real possibility they could meet, and Arthur had to deal with that. “Thanks.”

“Be sure to keep your bed warm for me, Arthur.”

Arthur thought about Lancelot’s invite and immediately pushed it out of his head. “Of course.”


	10. Chapter 10

He said he’d visit Lancelot, didn’t he?

The drive into the suburb where he lived was a long one. It was a fancy place—not Gilgamesh fancy but one could tell whoever lived there had to come from serious money. Lancelot’s novels were bestsellers, and he’d been writing since Arthur was in High School. He remembered seeing his novels in the school library and picking them up, but he’d never fathomed the man would have a fascination with him. It just went to show that the world was a truly bizarre place once you got used to it. Connections could be found anywhere.

Arthur rubbed his forehead, thinking about how stupid he’d been. He should’ve just told Gilgamesh no, not encouraged him to try and court him properly. Being wrapped up in people’s personal lives hadn’t been good for his health. It made him want things he had no business wanting, seeing this as more than a job. Furthermore, he’d tried to project those feelings onto Gil, who absolutely didn’t deserve that after his generosity.

The burgundy house surrounded by forest came into view as Arthur pulled into the long driveway. It looked like a cozy place to write… if Arthur was ever the type to author books, he’d absolutely choose somewhere like this. He sighed, okay, he’s just here to be a friend. Don’t get involved any more than that. He promised you the same.

Adjusting the messenger bag over his shoulders, he walked up to the door and rang the doorbell. Sounds of footsteps along with the scuttling paws of what had to be a smaller dog came up to the door. Lancelot knelt to pick up the Pomeranian as soon as he answered the door, offering Arthur a small smile.

“Come in!”

Arthur took one step in and reacquainted himself with the grand sight of the house—dark mahogany wherever he looked, the scent of something cooking, papers nearly everywhere, telltale of Lancelot being in the middle of a book—it was cozy for something big and pleasantly familiar. Arthur had been here several times before when they didn’t feel like returning to the hotel. Arthur would make idle chat while Lancelot wrote, and he noticed bits and bobs of his conversations would end up enfolded into the stories. He was a muse, after all.

“Hey Vivien,” Arthur smiled as he gently pet the dog in Lancelot’s hands. “I hope I’m not dropping in while you’re busy—"

“On the contrary, you’re just in time. I could use some inspiration.”

Arthur followed Lancelot into his study, the latter setting the dog down on the sofa. If Arthur thought the rest of the house was messy, it was nothing compared to this—different drafts sat in piles upon piles around his massive desk. He could tell he was in the throes of a book that was giving him trouble, probably because Arthur hadn’t been by to give him inspiration. Lancelot slipped on his glasses and cleaned up the desk a little bit. Their ritual was like this; Arthur would sit down and talk to him about anything and everything, they’d cozy up and sometimes things would progress to the bedroom—but not today. He’s here only as a friend.

“Where have you left off in your book…?”

“Well…” Lancelot began, flipping through some papers and handing the stack to Arthur. “Our main character was investigating a cult in…”

\--

It was dark for Lancelot’s usual fare, but he heard these books were going to be adapted for TV or Netflix or something—he suspected he got word from the higher-ups to make it edgier. Arthur felt strange that a character that had been based on him was going to be displayed by someone else on TV, but it’s not like he could audition, he couldn’t act for shit.

“So how have you been?”

“Good…” Lancelot’s protagonist was an ex-escort who had inadvertently stumbled upon a supernatural world when one of their clients willed them a journal detailing it. It was noted for being fairly progressive and Arthur thanked god that he didn’t have a love interest, else he might draw comparisons between them and Lancelot—because Lancelot was hopelessly in love with him. He didn’t know if he could share him, even fictionally. He could tell he looked extra tired today, no doubt stressing over this visit. As much as he wanted Arthur to visit, it was hard to think of Arthur as belonging to someone else. “And you?”

“Deadlines have been bearing down on me, but I’ve been managing. I’m in the last act and then I can ship it off to the editor.”

The two began a conversation that would last hours, Lancelot going back and forth about the novel and Arthur listening intently to how Lancelot interpreted his personality—it was no surprise that Lancelot’s protagonist was chivalrous, kind, and had an old, polite way of speaking, which Arthur found mildly insulting—just because he was British? Really? He probably knew more swear words than Lancelot. He noticed little things like food he’d ordered on a date with him being his book counterpart’s ‘favorite’… really? That was just something he ordered on a whim!

This was the consequence of wearing a persona to work. It was so well crafted that it translated too well to fiction. The more Arthur read, the more he had to commend his writing—it was engaging to read about someone that had technically been Arthur’s creation. At the same time, it was weird to see things he’d “say” if he were on the job.

“What do you think?”

“I think it’ll be popular,” Arthur said somewhat distractedly, trying to pay attention to the book itself. “You really nailed my—my…”

“Your…?”

“My personality,” Arthur smiled, not sure if he wanted to correct him or not. After all, Lancelot wasn’t the one interested in who he really was. The very thought made him sad. If Gilgamesh took an interest in him, what did it say about someone as kind as Lancelot thinking this was the real him? Maybe they were just two different people and Arthur underestimated how convincing his personality was. It was only natural for someone to take you at face value… but Gil knew right away.

Maybe it was a willful thing? Wanting to see the best part of someone? “It’s really convincing. I feel like…” He shook his head. “It’s great! It is.”

“No, tell me,” Lancelot was picking up at the criticism hidden in his voice.

“He just seems so noble. I know that’s really attractive on paper, but I’d like to see if he has problems that challenge his character. Like bad decisions he makes at the expense of others… something like that.”

“Hmm…” Lancelot folded his hands and mulled over his words. “I was planning something for the next book along those lines. I’ll keep it in mind. Thank you, Arthur, you’re always honest.”

_If only_, Arthur thought.

Lancelot moved to sit next to him on the sofa, organizing the papers after Arthur went through them. Arthur sensed that the older man just wanted to be close to him, and leaned back into the sofa. He cut off this relationship so quickly that he didn’t realize the repercussions, but Lancelot is holding back, and he’s grateful for it. “Do you want to stay the night?”

Or not. “Huh?”

“Just as friends! I know it’s a long drive back to the city and it’s getting dark.”

Oh, phew. “Yeah, that’d be nice.”

Arthur’s phone rang, and with a cursory glance to see Gilgamesh’s name pop up on the screen he let it go to voicemail.

“Can I take a shower?”

“Huh? Oh, sure…”

By the look on his face, he hadn’t noticed what was on his phone. Thank goodness.

\--

Arthur ran the water as hot and loud as it would go, then picked up his phone and called Gilgamesh back. His voice was hushed.

“Look, Gil, I can’t run off with you today, I—”

“I didn’t need you to.” His voice was lazy and drawn out on the other end of the phone, just on the edge of a yawn. Arthur could be sure he was relaxing. “Did you put your shower on hold for me? I hear it running in the background.”

“Something like that. I have to go—”

“Ah, ah, ah. I was hoping we could try something.”

… phone sex? Seriously? Gilgamesh didn’t seem like the roleplaying type. “Can you make it quick?”

“Mmm… it depends. What are you wearing right now?”

Arthur rolled his eyes. He may not have stripped down yet, but he knew what he wanted to hear. “Stark naked and soaking wet. Look—”

“I’m in a hotel in Sweden right now. So hard to be so far away from you…” By the sound of things, he was just settling in. “But we can close the distance in a few ways.”

Arthur sighed. Catering to Gilgamesh like this was now a fact of life, and instead of arguing with him over it, he might as well get it over with as soon as possible. He could say it was a really long shower or something. “I’m at a friend’s house, so make it quick.”

He could hear the snap of a phone camera and in moments, a picture appeared in Arthur’s text messages. It was of Gil in a red shirt that was unbuttoned to the waist and pulled off his shoulder, revealing his chest. He was holding it open teasingly, and even Arthur had to admit his selfie game was good. God, not now, don’t get him hard _now_.

“You like it?”

“You’re… outstanding.”

“Send me one of you.”

“Hold on a second.”

Arthur quickly muted his phone and stripped down, went into the shower and came back out. He might as well look naked and wet if he was going to send selfies. Careful not to slip, he walked over to the mirror and took one, looking kind of embarrassed and wet. By the sound of Gilgamesh’s voice on the other end, he approved mightily. “I wonder what you’d be doing if I were there…”

Having sex, obviously, but Arthur decided to play along, wandering back to the side of the shower, careful not to slip. “I’d…”

“Use your imagination.”

“I’d be teaching you to work on your gag reflex, I guess.”

“Oh? Putting me on my knees?” Arthur could hear the faint sounds of him unbuckling his belt.

“Yeah… you’d like round two, wouldn’t you?”

“You rarely get very rough with me, hmm… what would you do?”

“Well—as I’m at a friend’s house, I’d shut your dirty mouth up with my cock so you don’t make any noise.”

Gilgamesh seemed amused, and Arthur could hear more rustling of fabric. “What else?”

God, Gilgamesh was a verbal pillow queen. “I’d be gripping your hair and forcing you down until you couldn’t breathe as we both try to keep quiet…”

Arthur’s phone dinged with another picture. This one, unsurprisingly, was a dick pic. Arthur had seen it numerous times, what was the point of sending him one? Still… there was something tantalizing about trying to get the other off with only words, and the risk of doing it when someone could overhear from the door compounded his interest. Idly, he thought his hotel room looked nice. It seemed to be snowing, wherever he was.

“Go on…”

“It’s your turn, Gil. It’s no fun if I do all the talking.”

“Hmph… I guess I’ll keep my eyes on you as I go down, holding onto your thighs as the shower obscures some noise, but not all of it… it’s too messy, too wet-sounding to be completely drowned out. I’m noisy when I give head, Arthur. You know this.”

Of all the times to start to go hard—he was just entertaining Gil! He glanced to make sure the door was locked—it was—before starting to stroke himself gently. Something in having to talk wound up Gil, who was now on a roll.

“You hear footsteps outside the door, and I refuse to let up, you try to still me with your hand in my hair, but I just—won't—stop. I _want_ you to get caught. I want them to see us.” Gilgamesh laughed as he heard Arthur gasp over the phone. “I’m winning you over, aren’t I?”

“Shu-shut up…”

“Send me a picture.”

Arthur snapped a picture and double-checked that he was sending it to Gilgamesh (always be safe) and sent it. He could practically hear Gilgamesh purr upon seeing it.

“Oh, I can just picture being on my knees in front of you.”

“Gil,” Arthur said in a hushed tone. “Please, hurry—”

“That’s what you would be saying, yes. But no, now that the footsteps are gone, I’m taking my time. Licking you up and down instead of bobbing my head, just daring you to come on my face…"

“I take you by the hair again and force you down on me.” Arthur urged him along, glad that he was taking the dominant role in speaking so he wouldn’t be overheard. “Until your nose is pressing against my abdomen.”

There was a long pause before Gilgamesh responded again, apparently enjoying himself a little too much. “I sputter and cough, and that’s going to get _someone’s_ attention.”

“I keep forcing you down until it’s clear you can’t breathe, before releasing you and making you do it again—” This is bad, he was getting into it and as much as he was paying attention to sounds outside the door, he couldn’t stop himself either. This was intimately interesting. He was already planning to do it to Gil the moment he got back. There was a satisfied groan on the other end of the phone, and Arthur could tell he came.

“Good god, Arthur. Have you been hiding this side of yourself this entire time?”

Arthur let go of himself with relief. It’s over, but he was still mind-numbingly horny from the encounter. “I seriously have to take my shower. They’re going to think it’s weird I’ve been in here so long.”

“Sweet dreams, Arthur.”

Arthur hung up, set his phone aside, and turned the water to a chilling cold before stepping in.

\--

If only that were enough, though.

Arthur set foot outside of the bathroom, all washed up, and went to see Lancelot. He was cooking in his kitchen and it smelled great. Just outside of the hallway, Arthur could see his large, strong frame as he shook a frying pan over the flame and hummed to himself. _No, Arthur, no no no_, he told himself. _You’re a goddamn adult with restraint, it doesn’t matter if you’re craving contact like it’s the end of the world, he’s not Gil_—

Was it cheating, though? On the contract, sure. Okay, yes, definitely. It was definitely breaking his contract. He definitely wanted Gil here and cursed him for not being there. A five million dollar contract was not worth breaking for one night of sex and the thought of it cooled him down some, but instant gratification was so tempting. He could ask permission, couldn’t he? He took his phone out of his pocket and began typing out the five million dollar question.

-**A**: Gil?

-**G**: yes?

-**A**: nevermind

Arthur pocketed his phone. What was he thinking? He walked into the kitchen as if nothing was wrong.

“Have a good shower?”

“Yeah… sorry it took so long. Had to clear my head.”

“Something bothering you?”

“Mm…” Arthur glanced to the side. “Are you sure I should spend the night?”

Lancelot balked, for a moment. “Well, you’ve already made yourself comfortable—”

“True… I just--” Arthur made vague gestures with his hands. “Don’t want things to be too weird, haha!”

“Something wrong?”

Arthur stared at him for a good few seconds before walking over and placing his hands on his chest, leaning up to kiss him. He was surprised how quickly the older man took to his kiss, like a starving man in a desert, and Arthur was immediately pricked with guilt. He’s using him, he’s using him, he’s using him—he quickly broke contact.

“I can’t—” He gasps. He never wanted anything so badly but the pretense was horrible. He couldn’t live with himself if he went through with it, and that’s just enough to bring him back to the surface. “I can’t. I’m sorry.”

Lancelot tilted his chin back up to face him and kissed him again, and Arthur wasn’t pulling away this time. One-handed, he turned off the stove and backed Arthur against the wall.

“Stay the night.” Lancelot asked again. “Please.”

He hadn’t realized how needy he sounded when he asked the first time. Arthur’s heart broke, even if this man was different from Gilgamesh, even if he had an exclusive contract, even if he found himself annoyed with the little things, he couldn’t deny that Lancelot had cared for him before anyone else did, and that had been a major draw in his attraction.

“Okay…” Arthur said weakly. He knew what this will all lead up to, but he couldn’t stop himself from saying no.

As Lancelot slipped his hand up his shirt, Arthur craned his neck to kiss him once again, the dinner he was preparing left to go cold.

\--

His bed was massive. Arthur didn’t know how he slept alone in it every night.

Lancelot’s arm was around his waist and his chin was tucked against his shoulder, and he was sleeping more peacefully than Arthur could that night. As the little spoon, Arthur couldn’t escape his grasp and had to lay still, listening to his breathing and trying to content himself with what he’d done. It was okay. Gilgamesh didn’t have to know. This was just one slip up.

He’d be lying if he said it wasn’t good, if it didn’t feel right for the moment. To have sex outside of a contract, to do it of his own decision. It was just living with it—knowing that he’d betrayed the man who implicitly did not want him to do this because he’d grown possessive… fond… of Arthur?

All of this was a mess. He never should’ve accepted the contract. Or at least, he should have negotiated terms for something like this.

As he stirred, Lancelot whispered something in French in his ear that Arthur knew was supposed to be romantic, but he couldn’t focus on the romance of all things right now. The guilt was too much.

He’d be going home first thing in the morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I literally finished this chapter because I was too emotionally compromised from the last one not to.

Arthur didn’t go and visit Artoria like he planned.

He went home immediately, showered, and felt tears stinging at his eyes.

He completely betrayed Gil. They might not be in a real relationship, but they were in a contract, and in his world, that was just as binding, just as clear. Gil _trusted_ him. He trusted him, he _trusted _him! All for what? For one night with someone he was supposed to be getting over? Gil got him a fucking puppy. He paid for his apartment! Looking at everything that surrounded him, all he could feel was a violent, grotesque disgust at himself. He betrayed him for a feeling of love he wasn’t sure he even wanted to pursue, and he’d ruined all of it. He couldn’t even see Gil as a shot at a better life, or someone who had made his life easier—all he saw Gil as now was a person he’d betrayed. A person, a human being who cared about him.

“Gilgamesh?” His voice cracked over the phone.

“What is it, Arthur?” There was a modicum of concern in his voice, which made Arthur want to throw up.

“Please come see me when you’re done with work. I need to talk to you about something.”

It wasn’t good, whatever it was. Gilgamesh could tell that alone. “Alright. I’ll be home this weekend. Dream of me, Arthur.”

Arthur wouldn’t let himself cry. He didn’t deserve to cry. He just said ‘yeah’ and hung up.

\--

Waiting for him to come back took time. Arthur was nauseous with anxiety the entire while, even getting sick once or twice. When Gilgamesh finally entered the apartment—the apartment that he paid for, no less—he sizes up Arthur with an almost worried look.

“What’s gotten into you, Arthur? Usually I’m calling on you.”

“I broke the contract.” Arthur spits it out the moment he can say it.

“…”

What?

“I-I broke it, I slept with someone else,” He forces it out of his lips. “It just happened, I…”

“Arthur, you _what_?”

His voice had gone dangerously cold, and Arthur would accept him hitting him, anything as penance for what he did.

“You can take back all your money. I’ll work as long as possible to pay you back for everything you got me, as well as what I already put down for my student debt,” Words are flying out of his lips faster than he can catch them. “I’ll move out of here right away, I’ll sell everything you bought—”

“Arthur.”

That voice demanded he looked up at him. Gilgamesh was staring at him with a composed, yet white-hot fury.

“Clearly, I didn’t pay you enough.”

What?

Gilgamesh got out his wallet, and tossed bills at him carelessly. “In buying you, I clearly should have invested more into you, right? What’s it going to take for you to ride out the rest of the contract? Ten thousand? Half a million? What does it take, Arthur Pendragon, to buy your unwavering loyalty? When five million is not enough to convince you that you should _keep it in your fucking pants_—"

He ripped every single bill out of his wallet and showered Arthur in it, who just sat stock still, taking the verbal abuse.

“Do you think you could just pay me back?” He spat, unable to contain himself now. “No, Arthur, I was going to—offer you a way into my world, and you just trashed it! For what? You’re older than me, damn it! You’re supposed to have some control! Instead you betray me. For who, Arthur? Tell me their name!”

“Lancelot du Lac…” Arthur croaked quietly. Gilgamesh laughed.

“The writer? I thought you stopped talking to him! Clearly, Arthur Pendragon isn’t above keeping old flames on the side. What could he do for you? What could he ever fucking do for you that I couldn’t?!”

“I was weak… I’m so sorry. Gil, I regretted it the moment it happened.”

“You clearly didn’t regret it ENOUGH because you let it CONTINUE. All the way to his bed, hm? At no point did you tell yourself ‘I should stop’, hmm? I could forgive you if you kissed him and told yourself that was it. I can understand weakness, I see it every goddamn day. But letting it happen—going along with it--”

“There’s no excuse.”

“There really isn’t.”

Arthur noticed his voice sounded hurt as well as angry. “What will you do with me?”

“I don’t even want to fucking look at you. You disgust me. I never even considered doing what you did, and I’m not even bound by the contract not to.”

Arthur looked up at him, wide-eyed. Gilgamesh merely glowered down at him.

“What will—”

“Shut up. Don’t look at me. I can’t stand to see your face.” Gilgamesh paced the room, clearly furious. He was heartbroken, and it was a feeling he wasn’t well acquainted with. He was usually the heartbreaker, fleeting from one lover to the next, disappointing his own parents by choosing who he wanted. He’d made a mistake with Arthur. He thought he was too virtuous to ever do something like this.

“You’re no prince. You’re not even a whore. You’re scum.”

“I know.”

“Are you going to run back into his arms?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“Because—because I wouldn’t be able to look him in the eyes without knowing what I did to you.”

“You did it knowing full well what you were getting yourself into. Honestly, Pendragon. Lie better.”

“It’s the truth!” Arthur protested.

“You’re probably wondering what it would take for me to forgive you. Well, Arthur, worry not. I’m willing to forgive you, if only because it would deny you the closure you want, the penance you want to pay. You would probably break your back fucking so many people to pay me back, I know you. But no. I still want to hoard you to myself, because god damn it, you did this to me. Look and laugh, Pendragon, because I am still not able to do to you what you did to me.”

“… Gil…”

“So how much is it? How much do I need to buy you with?”

“Nothing,” Arthur said quietly. “Nothing else. I promise.”

“Your promises aren’t worth shit. Tell me.”

“I don’t want anything from you!” Arthur exclaimed. “I’m the one who wants to make this right!”

“Tell me what you did with him,” Gilgamesh asked. “Exactly.”

\--

Arthur told him everything.

Gilgamesh merely sat there and listened.

“Stop…” He said finally. “Just… stop.” He laughed to himself, hoarsely. “So I turned you on so much you had to run into the arms of another man?”

“…”

“Even you must think it’s funny.”

“I don’t think it’s funny at all.”

“Good, I don’t either.”

Arthur yearned to hug him, to touch him, to do anything, but knew it wasn’t his place. “If I was in a real relationship with you, I’d ruin you, Arthur. But you weren’t, and you aren’t.”

Arthur felt the cold puncture of his words. “I know I can never be what you wanted me to be. I’m not going to defend myself.”

“It would make it that much easier to hate you.” Gilgamesh sighed. “It’s hard to look at you, still. I wanted you to be mine, but you were right. Money can’t buy everything.”

“… let me make this up to you.”

“You can’t, Arthur.”

“At least let me try!” He pleaded. Gilgamesh looked at him with tired, sad eyes. He hated himself for it, but he still wanted Arthur, even after doing the most disgusting thing imaginable.

“What are you going to do?”

“I…” Arthur didn’t have the first idea how he’d make this up to someone. He’d never imagined himself so terrible that he’d actually do this, but actions were more powerful than thoughts. “Whatever you want of me.”

“I want to drown out every thought you have of that other man and replace it with me,” Gilgamesh said, frankly and honestly. “I want to know I carved over a place in your heart that you’d leave others for dead.”

“…”

“Is that something you can promise me, Arthur? Is that something you can do for me?”

“I’ll have to tell him that I can’t see him anymore. If I ghost him, that’s—”

“--a coward’s way out. Yes, I agree. Arthur, I want you to take me to meet this man and do this while I’m there.”

Arthur knew the severity of this request but understood it. It was forcing him to make a decision between the two and sever the bond then and there. “I will.”

“Tell me when you’re free to do so,” Gilgamesh stood up. “I’m going home.”

Arthur nodded quietly, standing up to walk him out.

“… I’m not forgiving you yet.” He said somberly, before shutting the door on the way out.

Arthur let those words sting him.

\--

It was another week before he made good on his promise.

He went to Lancelot’s house with Gilgamesh behind him like a parent bringing a child to apologize to someone after a scolding. Still, he was dignified when he knocked on the door, carrying himself as professionally as he could. When Lancelot opened the door, he looked relieved to see Arthur, only to see Gilgamesh standing behind him, and confusion crossing his face.

“I can’t see you anymore, Lancelot.”

“Is this because of your--?”

“It’s not just because of my contract, it’s because of the person I co-signed it with. I betrayed their trust in sleeping with you.” Easy, Arthur. Steel your nerves and do this. “And I can never hurt them like this again. I’m sorry for leading you on. It was unfair to you and unfair to him.”

“Especially since you’re choosing him over me, hm?” Lancelot crossed his arms, knowing that this had to be it with Arthur. He thought he’d gone along with it willingly, but in truth, he’d been complicit in breaking his contract by asking him to stay the night. “Arthur, I—”

“Goodbye.”

“Please, wait—”

“Goodbye.”

Gilgamesh leaned against his car as he watched Arthur get inside. So casually he broke someone else’s heart for his sake. He wasn’t sure what to do with Arthur at something like this, but the first step had been taken. He got into the car and drove off with him.

“Usually, this would be the part where I dump you back at your apartment, tell you to pack your shit, and drive off gleefully knowing I helped burn your bridges on your way out.”

“…”

“Usually.” Gil said simply.

“Were you planning on it?”

“Somewhat. But I still can’t get rid of you, Pendragon.”

Arthur was unsure what to say. Gilgamesh had meant so much to him in the past months, he’d been a brat and he’d been hard to deal with, but he’d never betrayed him or hurt him openly. He just wanted sex and a bed to crash in. Now that he stood to lose him, Arthur understood what it would mean to lose a person like him. The only person who’d tried to be his friend was the one he openly backstabbed, and he knew he’d been a bastard.

“Gilgamesh, I—”

“Out with it.”

“It’s going to take time to earn your trust again. To make sure you don’t misplace it, and I’m willing to do—anything and everything—to make sure I do that. Even if you no longer want me, I’m not buttering you up because I want a comfortable life. I did wrong by you. So badly… and in such a terrible way.”

“You did. I have no doubts you would feel better if I sued you for breaking your contract because it would be just desserts. I’m not letting you off the hook that easily.”

Arthur nodded. “I just want to make it up to you…”

“Then think about it. Think long and hard about what you can do for me to make it up that isn’t self-flagellation or kissing my ass.”

“I know. I know…”

“Do you?”

“I’m not going to make excuses.”

“Good.”

Gilgamesh pulled up to the curb of Arthur’s apartment, waiting for him to get out.

“Arthur.”

“Yes?”

“I’ll be stopping by in about a week. Be ready for me.”

Arthur nodded numbly. He made the long trip up to his empty apartment with so much to think about, it was all flooding his mind and threatening to bring him back to tears. How could he be so fucking dumb?

He would make this right or die trying.


	12. Chapter 12

What did Arthur know about Gilgamesh?

Nothing.

He knew absolutely nothing about the billionaire playboy aside from what google afforded him, which, at the bottom of his Wikipedia page, said he enjoyed ‘jet skiing’ and ‘collecting ancient treasures’. Arthur realized, with a pitiful sigh, that Gilgamesh had invested more time in getting to know him than the other way around—he was too busy keeping up with his demands to think of Gil as anything more than a really involved client. He truly was the worst.

Yet, public appearances demanded that Arthur still serve as his boyfriend for the time being. Good thing Lancelot never went to the press, or all of this would burn up horribly. He didn’t seem to be the vengeful type, just… sad. And it was that sadness that had made Arthur _stupidly_ sleep with him. At least Gilgamesh understood one thing: they were in a fake relationship, and the only breach was one of trust and in the contract. If they were really dating each other, this would be terrible in all senses of the word. It still was, mind, but there was that thin sliver of distance that kept it from being heinous to an unforgivable degree.

Not that it felt any different to Arthur. It really did feel like he cheated on him. The guilt ate him up that entire week, but he realized his guilt was worthless. It didn’t help Gil, who had no reason to pity him, and it didn’t make things right, which Arthur aimed to do.

He needed to find something else out about Gilgamesh before he continued. Get to know him without getting to know the man face to face.

He realized, with a sinking feeling, that there was only one person Arthur had met who knew Gilgamesh intimately.

He realized they were his only lead.

\--

“You have guts, coming to me,” Ishtar overlooked the sapphire bracelet Arthur brought as a peace offering. “You must be stupid to ask about Gil. He’s my sore spot.”

That bracelet cost an embarrassing chunk of Arthur’s fortune, but it was well worth it for the price of admission to speak to Ishtar. “I know, but—I can’t surprise him with anything unless I get to know him from the standpoint of someone who really knew him. He doesn’t speak about his past… hardly talks about his parents, either.”

“Well, there’s one for you. He’d never talk about his parents.” Ishtar leaned against the windowed door of her elegant villa. She’d really only invited Arthur over to humor him after he requested to talk to her. She would be all too content to fill his head with lies, but… with her new boyfriend, she wasn’t nearly as mad at Gil anymore. Plus, the bracelet was gorgeous—she supposed she could humor him. “They don’t get on very well.”

“Hm…?” Being the sole heir to their fortune, Arthur wondered why Gil would rock the boat. “Why not? He’s free to use their money, I mean—”

“It’s a totally different world, you know. They had him in an arranged marriage to me, but he messed that up, for one.” Arthur noticed a micropig just outside of the glass door. Gugalanna, wasn’t it? “The fact that he didn’t want to settle down with anyone has been really bothering them. Then he turned up with you out of nowhere, and they’re not sure what to make of it.” Ishtar twirled her hair around her finger. “They kind of want grandkids, you know?”

Arthur could read between the lines. “Ah.”

“But that’s your problem now, not mine.”

Arthur swallowed hard. “I… I see. What else can you tell me about him?”

“Hmm? Well, we went to the same school together… he was always hanging out with the same kid. He’s always been a stuck-up brat. Speaks his mind. You wouldn’t guess it from looking at him, but he’s got morals.”

“ISHTAR--!”

Arthur and Ishtar glanced to the stairs, where a blonde-looking version of Ishtar stood. Her twin sister, Ereshkigal.

“Where is my favorite handbag?”

“Oh—it’s in my room. It was the only thing that went with my dress last night.”

“I’ll kill you! That’s mine, damn it! It was hand-made especially for me!”

Ishtar looked at her nails, obviously not caring about pissing her off. “I’ve got a guest, okay? Make a scene somewhere else.”

Arthur felt extremely awkward to be caught in between their fight, but Ereshkigal marched upstairs and threw open Ishtar’s bedroom door, screaming; “Your room is such a mess!”

“Aaanyway—” Ishtar focused on Arthur. “If you’re looking to impress Gil, or something? I-D-K why you’re here if not for that… get him something old and fancy. He likes rare treasures.”

“No, that’s not… that’s not enough.”

“Hoooh? What did you do to piss him off?”

“It’s between us.”

“Well… he likes people who can stay a few steps ahead of him in a conversation. He also likes it when people subvert his expectations. He gets bored really easily when reading people, which can make him such a bastard—um, let’s see… really, you should be asking Enkidu instead of me…”

_If that’s his best friend, he’d kill me before helping me_, Arthur thought to himself.

“Anyway, Gilgamesh grew up pretty lonely, except for him. He didn’t really make friends despite being kind of charismatic? He’d usually drive people away with that self-importance of his. It was people who could see through it that got close to him somehow… um, let’s see, there was Siduri—”

“I think I get it,” Arthur said quietly. “I just need to… understand him.”

“Yeah! Now, can you get out of my house? I have a hair appointment to get to in fifteen minutes.”

It wasn’t enough information to go off. Really, Arthur thought he would get a few hours with her, but in comparison, this was nothing. Still, he had something to go off of… as vague as it was. Gil would be back at his place in a matter of days. He had to show that he was willing to learn from his mistake at the very least.

\--

When Gilgamesh opened the door to his apartment, it was without ceremony. Arthur had been waiting in the living room beside his phone for the text that he was about to come up. His kitchen was overflowing with food he’d prepared in his anxiety, not because he thought it’d make anything up to Gil, but on the off chance he was hungry. He said he liked his food before, right…? Arthur stood up to meet him. The notes Gilgamesh had thrown on Arthur in his anger were stacked neatly on the little round table with a paperweight to weigh them down. He suspected Gil wouldn’t accept them back, but Arthur couldn’t accept them either.

“Pendragon.”

“Gilgamesh. How was your--”

“Get to the bedroom.”

… really? He was just going to go straight back to sex like that? Arthur wasn’t sure if he could even get ready for such a thing after what he’d done—

But Gilgamesh had bought him for the year, that much was true. He owed him this. It didn’t matter how he felt or not. Even if ‘time outs’ were in his contract, he couldn’t very well ignore the reality that he was an escort paid for a service.

… what had this job _done_ to him?

\--

“I’m going to be on top.”

Arthur blinked. Gil had never requested that before. “Okay.”

“I need to erase his footprints on you,” He said, stripping himself of his shirt. “I just… can’t stand the thought of you claimed that way. So I need to do it myself.”

Arthur’s expression weakened. Gilgamesh—despite everything Arthur was and did—still wanted him, but he couldn’t stand the idea of someone else being there in his place, so he aimed to erase the imprint that Lancelot had left on him. Arthur didn’t understand, but when had he ever? He had to see it from Gilgamesh’s perspective. He had to see it like he saw it, but he was missing so many crucial puzzle pieces.

“Why me?” Arthur asked, softly.

“Hm?”

“Why, after everything I’ve done, do you still want me?”

“Come on, Arthur. Asking questions like that ruins the mood—” Gilgamesh pushed him back against the bed and bit his neck somewhat roughly. It seemed he refused to kiss him in any way.

“I need to understand you, Gil. I don’t know anything about you, and I never asked…”

“You don’t need to,” Gilgamesh said, resolutely. “All you have to do is serve me. That’s your job.”

“I can never make it right if I don’t understand you,” Arthur pressed on, but Gil wasn’t having it. He was letting his hands wander up his shirt, feeling him all over as if to erase the touch Lancelot left there, leaving Arthur breathing softly and trying to figure him out. “I can never—”

Arthur let out a strangled cry as Gil sunk his teeth into him, leaving what was sure to be marks. “I said _shut up_. You would never remember, anyway. You were so-”

Gilgamesh cut himself off at that, and Arthur could scarcely see his eyes beneath his bangs. What wasn’t he remembering? As he was left to ponder on that, Gilgamesh put his hands on either side of his knees and pushed them apart, pulling down his pants by the belt loops. “Anyway,” Gil stoically tossed his jeans to the side, wanting to divert the topic as soon as possible. “Let me have this, Arthur. I’ll stop if you say stop, but…”

“No,” Arthur responded softly. “Go ahead.”

Gilgamesh finished disrobing himself and got to work.

\--

It was hard. Gil wasn’t accustomed to being on top, so his technique was rough, but Arthur bore the brunt of it with ease. He’d had tougher clients, one, in particular, being absolutely hard to bear. In comparison, this was a cakewalk. Everything with Gil was so much easier than his other clients, except for the part where Arthur couldn’t help but feel so devastated that he couldn’t make this up to him. So he did his best, not bothering to wear a façade because Gilgamesh would get sick of looking at it, to please him.

Gil pulled off of him once he finished, staring down at his handiwork without smiling or feeling any sort of accomplishment. He did what he set out to do—and now Arthur would know whose imprint had been left on him. Arthur hadn’t faked any moans, he’d simply laid there without holding him, knowing that Gilgamesh would hate it if he did, but Arthur wanted to so _badly_.

As Gilgamesh got into the shower, he pondered the past.

_Bright lights flashed overhead as music thrummed in the background, so much that it shook the floor beneath them. He was with a colleague that night, who’d done something bizarre and bought an escort for the two of them for the evening. He was handsome, with blond hair and green eyes—not that Gil could tell in the darkness of the club._

_“And you are…?” Gilgamesh asked, swirling his drink._

_“Call me Saber,” the man replied, politely._

Ugh, why had he ever…

He could only be mad at Arthur because he broke the contract. They weren’t in a real relationship, after all. He should have never made that exclusivity clause in the first place. It was only natural that Arthur wouldn’t love someone who bought him and would fall to the whims of someone who felt for him. It was like a sad soap opera, now, and Arthur thought he could just make it up to him. What was with that sad face as he begged to understand him? He could’ve asked that in Fiji, but no. He only asked that when he fucked up.

Arthur was no prince, but he did have a soul. He could tell that he sincerely wanted to make it up to him, but Gilgamesh was neither forgiving or merciful. Whatever Arthur did, he would have to earn. He wasn’t going to let him butter him up and say all was well.

When he got dressed in some of Arthur’s spare clothes and walked out, Arthur was in the kitchen chopping cauliflower. Gilgamesh stared at him, unimpressed.

“The way to my heart isn’t through the stomach.”

“I do this when I get nervous. You don’t have to eat.”

“Hmph.”

Gil made a beeline for the door when Arthur spoke.

“Wait.”

“Yes?” His voice was cold.

“Is it because of your parents?”

“Is it because of them _what_.”

“That you picked me?”

Gilgamesh laughed bitterly. “You know what? I’ll give you a hint, even though it’s unfathomable that you’ll ever remember. It’s not that we knew each other well in the past, and it’s not because of my parents, either. You and I are fairly recent acquaintances. You won’t find anything soul searching about me. It’s impossible.”

Arthur tried to piece it together. “I only saw you a couple times before you made the contract. I don’t know…”

“And you won’t.”

Gil left Arthur then, holding his folded clothes in his arms as he left the apartment. Arthur realized he’d squandered his opportunity. That, or he had to work harder for it.

\--

Arthur poured over the texts that Gilgamesh sent him when he was still feeling warmly towards him. If he pretended, for just a moment, everything was right and nothing bad had happened, but all of that was in the past. Gil had called him scum—and he was right.

He always used such affectionate language with Arthur. “Dream of me” being something he said frequently. He never turned against him, even once. He was playful and boisterous, bold and condescending, sure, but he’d been endlessly kind and generous to Arthur, for some reason he didn’t understand. Gilgamesh said it was impossible for him to know how he became so taken with him, but he wasn’t going to give up there.

He decided to call the hotel.

“Excuse me?”

The secretary answered. “Hello, do you have a—”

There was a secret code to this place, one you had to memorize in order to talk to them as if it wasn’t a random hotel that was always booked. Arthur said it and the secretary sighed in relief.

“We haven’t seen you in forever. How’s your contract going?”

“It could be better,” Arthur admitted. “Listen, do you still have the data for my bookings?”

“Of course. What do you need to know?”

“I need to know when Gilgamesh booked me before he had me sign a contract with him. And… some bookings before that, please?”

“Sure… it looks like he booked you three times before the contract, from the end of November to two times in December. And before that, you had a… guest booking with Mr. ■■■■■.”

“Guest booking?”

“One you were just meant to entertain, not provide services. Do you remember it?”

“I…” In truth, Arthur had so many bookings back then that it was easy to confuse one for another. He didn’t recognize the name though, so it must not have been a regular. “I guess not.”

“Hmm…” The secretary paused. “It looks like he’s no longer working with the establishment, anyway. I have to go, but Arthur, remember you’re always welcome to talk to us if things aren’t going right. We can still negotiate terms.”

“Of course.”

The secretary hung up the phone, and Arthur was left at square one. So Gilgamesh had only seen him three times before then, and he remembered all of them going smoothly. He didn’t know why he didn’t question being picked up by such a new client when he signed the contract. Hindsight was 20/20. Lying back on the sofa, Cavall II jumped up to stand on his chest and bark. Arthur scritched between his ears, lost in thought. Where had he met Gilgamesh that he didn’t remember? Was it possible that Gilgamesh didn’t introduce himself while he was off with another client?

No, that didn’t seem right. Gilgamesh didn’t get odd fixations out of nowhere, Arthur knew _that_ much about him already. What else did he know?

That he didn’t know the value of money, for one. Also, that he could make what Arthur made from him in a matter of days. He was smart, calculating, and knew what he was doing. So why had he decided to sleep with Arthur again? He suspected something was off there, too. Like his reasoning wasn’t just to erase where Lancelot left his mark.

All in all, Arthur was starting to _think_ about Gilgamesh the right way, trying to deduce his reasoning instead of moping around and thinking about his own problems, but he had more questions than answers, and Gilgamesh wasn’t keen on answering. All of a sudden, he got a text message.

-G: It was hard seeing you today, but I feel like I got something out of it.

-G: Stop asking questions. You won’t like the answer.

-G: I’ll see you again on Monday.

-A: I won’t stop asking questions

-A: I can’t

-G: It’s more annoying than it is endearing, you know.

-G: Figure it out yourself.

-G: Bye.

No ‘dream of me’ anymore.

Arthur felt his heart sink but resolved to do better. It didn’t feel like he’d get anywhere meeting Gilgamesh’s friends. Ishtar was only cooperative because she didn’t know about what Arthur did. Who knew how badly his actual friends would react, assuming they already knew what happened? There was always…

His parents.

The people Arthur naturally failed to impress already. Arthur knew where his father worked, he could get an audience with him and ask him about the kind of person Gilgamesh was, but Ishtar said they weren’t close anyway.

Maybe it was time to call someone who wasn’t involved at all—Artoria. She’d have good advice, wouldn’t she?

Either way, his options branched off into several different directions. He just had to pick the right one, and go from there.


	13. Chapter 13

Arthur was looking in the wrong places. He realized that while trying to call the office where Gil’s father worked. He wouldn’t provide him with any magical answers and thinking that Ishtar would was a bust too. Even at her nicest, all she did was tell him to get him something fancy. That didn’t solve Arthur’s problem.

After all the pain and suffering, which Arthur believed he didn’t even deserve to feel, Arthur arrived at the conclusion that he wasn’t looking at _himself_ enough.

What had driven him to commit the sin he did? Pity? Momentary weakness? A sex drive gone out of control? In the end, all of those piss-poor reasons were in a blender, making some concoction of regret. Arthur blamed _himself_, not Lancelot, not Gil, and he couldn’t say “well, it’s my job that made me this way” or “at least I know what I did wrong, that makes me better than everyone else who cheats”. He just acknowledged he was wrong, staring in his bathroom mirror after washing his face. He had options—he could dumbly look at Gilgamesh, waiting for an explanation, or he could take a proactive stance on making things right.

He didn’t care that he broke a contract. Gil might’ve been pragmatic about that much, but to Arthur, he was just short of being in an actual relationship, which made it just as vile. In Gil’s own words, he hadn’t considered having sex with anyone else while he had Arthur, which meant he had _feelings_ for him, which Arthur betrayed. Now that he was thinking of it this way, the reasoning became clearer. He was just as much in a relationship with him as he would be with an actual boyfriend. There was nothing absent from their relationship aside from how little Arthur knew about Gil and vice versa.

… but Gil seemed to know Arthur, just a little bit more than Arthur knew him. He believed him when he said they didn’t have a history together, because Arthur wouldn’t believe that much had been erased from his mind. But what did Gil know about him that Arthur wouldn’t remember? He was striking. He’d easily know him from a glance before then.

He thought back to their first session together.

\--

Gil looked at him somewhat strangely. He remembered that first.

Most men are upfront about what they want when they meet an escort, but Gil sort of idled in as if he didn’t really know his place there, before regaining his pompous composure. He asked him how he was doing, and Arthur answered naturally, I’m a little nervous but kind of excited. I’ve never had such a handsome client before (which was buttering him up then, but you had to say these things in the business—it might as well have been true, though. Arthur was lucky). Gil said worry not, because I’m going to make this as fun for you as it is for me. Think of this as a trial run.

Then they had sex, which Arthur remembered as being satisfying. He said he preferred bottoming straight up, loved the feeling of being full, purring about how Arthur fit ‘just right’. Then, after a little bit, they parted ways, but not before Gil booked him again. Arthur remembered being relieved to have another client like him, thinking about how generous his tip was, wondering if he’d become a regular…

Their next two sessions were the same. Regular client, same kind of sex, not too kinky but not vanilla either. Arthur had learned his name by then, and Gilgamesh disapproved of his suit. Nothing about these memories particularly stuck out to Arthur. As in, he doesn’t remember anything that would’ve made Gil choose him for a year. He should’ve asked, damn it… he should have treated Gil like a friend from the very beginning.

He should have treated Gil like a friend.

There it was.

Gil wasn’t his friend at all. From the very start, Arthur had been somewhat bitter about how he treated him. He was annoyed with how Gil hated his car. He felt rushed when he had to move into a new apartment. He hadn’t bothered understanding Gil because Gil became such an overbearing presence in his life that it was hard to see him as anything but an influencer with power over him. He thought showing up was enough because that alone seemed to please Gil. It wasn’t enough, though! Not nearly! Gil went all the way to taking him on a vacation to get to know him better!

Arthur felt so fucking stupid. The answers, in retrospect, were so clear that he might as well have been making the stupidest decisions along the way.

The question was, how to fix it. It wasn’t like he could push him out of the way of a moving car and save his life and all would be forgiven. It’d take time. Effort. There was no better time to start than the present, though.

As long as Arthur didn’t understand why he picked him though, would he really get very far?

\--

-A: Gilgamesh.

-G: Hm? You’re bothering me at work.

-G: What is it

-A: Will you go upstate with me?

-A: I just think

-A: It might be fun to get away from the city?

-G: Where do you get off saying we should have ‘fun’ together?

-G: We’re in a professional relationship, Arthur.

-A: I know!! I know

-A: But I can’t begin to understand you if all we do is have sex.

-A: That hasn’t worked and will never work

-A: I treated you like a client when you always had my back.

-A: I’m not suggesting this to make it up to you, I just want to get to know the real you.

-A: You put up a face, too. My ‘prince’, your ‘rich heir’.

-A: I need to see what’s beneath it.

-G: You have some nerve…

-G: I will give you this one chance, Arthur.

-G: Fail to impress me, and we’re doing it my way for the rest of the year.

-A: I won’t squander it! I promise!

-A: Whatever it takes.

-G: Fine.

\--

It was merciful for Gilgamesh to even give him a chance, but he supposed with the roadblock in their relationship, they wouldn’t be able to progress anywhere unless they were face to face. Did Gilgamesh… want to see him try? What reason would he even have for that? Even Arthur was confused that he was being given such a blatant chance.

But… there was also the chance he could fail, and everything would be ruined. Okay, okay. He could do this. He had no choice _but _to do this.

\--

Arthur picked him up in his car. Gil crossed his arms after buckling himself in, looking out the window and making himself distinctly unavailable. Arthur took one look at him and sighed.

“Look… I can’t make up to you what I did.”

“No, Arthur, you certainly can’t. You all but broke whatever trust I had in you.”

All ‘but’? “I’d say I totally broke it.”

Gilgamesh didn’t answer him after that.

“I’m not—like that, usually… I mean, it’s not fair that I say that when I did it, but I’m not usually so interested in sex. I tried to divorce the idea of sex for pleasure and sex for money in my head when I started this job. I… guess I wasn’t good at that at all. I didn’t control myself. I’m sorry.”

“Just goes to show me what I get for trusting a whore not to be a whore.”

Ouch. But it was merited.

“I’m not going to deny what I did. I want to face it head-on. But I also don’t want to lose you. That’s why I told you right away. I couldn’t… bear the thought of making it go on for one second longer.”

“Do you want a medal for not lying to me?”

“No, I just—” Arthur kept his eyes on the road, waiting for the right exit. “I… I’m sorry.”

Gilgamesh said something under his breath, which perked Arthur’s attention. “What?”

“I said—nothing. Nevermind. How are you going to make this up to me, Arthur? Where are you taking me?”

“I was thinking we could go to a vineyard.”

Gil rolled his eyes, apparently seeing enough of them for a lifetime. “That’s droll. Here I thought you were going to impress me.”

“Well, I… wanted somewhere quiet where we could talk. It seemed like the best bet.”

“What do you hope to get out of this, Arthur?”

“I want to get to know you,” Arthur said, finally. “The real you.”

“You think I put up a façade, like you. Is that it?”

“I don’t think it’s a façade. I think it’s just—you hide your real feelings sometimes. Even now, I can tell you’re hiding something right now.”

“It’s something you have no business knowing.”

“Just… how did you meet me, Gilgamesh? I poured over everything, even called the hotel to confirm records. I never met you before the end of November.”

“…”

“… but we don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to.”

“I don’t. I don’t want you getting ideas that you’re off the hook.”

“…?” What did that have to do with anything?

“Just keep driving.”

The vineyard Arthur chose was elegant and reserved, a small one run by a family for almost a hundred years. It was probably nothing compared to Italian wine, but there was a certain comfortableness in the grey sky that hung overhead as they perused the grounds. Arthur thought this was his chance to talk to him, one on one before they settled in the small restaurant to sample the wine. Arthur walked alongside him quietly, before deciding to talk again.

“Where did you grow up?”

“In that house. We’ve lived there my whole life.”

“You don’t want to move out?”

Gilgamesh laughed bitterly. “What’s the point? I’m always on the move around the world. I barely sleep in that bed as it is—though I’ve been doing it moreso lately for obvious reasons.”

He wasn’t crashing at Arthur’s place, that was for sure. Arthur nodded.

“Do you get along with your parents?”

“They tolerate me. They think they can control me, but I already make enough money in my father’s business to be independent. There’s little they can do to stop me, from, say, hiring an escort to be my fake boyfriend for the year. They think you’re the real deal, though. They don’t know how much I paid…”

“Why did you pay that much, anyway? It should really have been less than half of that, even for a whole year, even with my most expensive rates--”

“I wanted to make an imposing bid. One your boss couldn’t turn down.”

“Why?”

Gilgamesh stuck out his tongue. “As if I’d answer that.”

Why not, though? Arthur thought to himself. That was just reckless with money. Gilgamesh must’ve had the motivation to spend that much. Arthur had to think outside of the box. Why did he _have_ to drop that much money on Arthur? Or rather, why did he _want_ to? Arthur wanted to know, but he knew he wouldn’t get it out of Gilgamesh in this state.

“You shouldn’t have paid anything. If you were interested in me, you should’ve just—“

“Shut up about things you know nothing about. I did what I wanted to do.”

Ah, so it was _want_ instead of had to.

“Besides,” Gilgamesh went on. “If we were in a normal relationship, I wouldn’t be giving you this much. It’s only by the grace of your contract that I’m dignifying your requests with my presence. Be grateful for it.”

“I am grateful. I realized… I never really showed it. I just acted like you were being excessive, but… I live in a safer neighborhood now, and I have a puppy, and everything’s comfortable… I’m glad. I’m glad you did that much for me. Thank you.”

Gilgamesh looked to the side at Arthur. In truth, he didn’t care if Arthur was grateful or not. Everything he’d done, he’d done with a purpose. He hadn’t even stopped paying Arthur’s rent, if the man paid attention to it at all. “Don’t thank me. Seriously, don’t thank me when I’m still so mad at you. It’s not going to get you anywhere.”

“I’m starting to understand you a bit better, but there are still a lot of gaps. Will you entertain my questions? Please?”

Gilgamesh supposed he didn’t have anything better to do and headed with him to the outdoor restaurant at the heart of the vineyard.

\--

“It’s pointless, Pendragon. You can know everything you want about me, but if you don’t remember how we met—”

“Just—Just humor me. How was it, growing up? I know you had a few friends…”

“Where did you hear that?”

“I have… sources,” Mentioning Ishtar might make him unhappy. “But you didn’t have a lot, did you?”

“In my position, everyone wants to be your friend. It’s only natural I weeded out the fakes, which turned out to be a lot. It was good preparation for my life now. Knowing who will use you… and who won’t.”

Arthur swallowed, but continued. He couldn’t drink a lot of the wine as the designated driver, leaving Gilgamesh to sample most of the glasses brought to their table. “Make no mistake, Pendragon. I don’t think you used me. You resisted everything I tried to do for you. Using is a different thing from cheating.”

“Yeah… so, you still have friends?”

“I have two really close friends.”

“… do they know about—”

“You only have your neck because they don’t.”

“… Why wouldn’t you tell them?”

“Because I owe you a debt, Arthur. One I think I can finally cancel with what you did to me.”

A debt? “After paying me so much money, and treating me to so many things—how could _I_ possibly owe _you_ anything?”

Gilgamesh said nothing, finishing off one glass of wine. “Doesn’t matter if you can’t remember.”

“…”

“Actually…”

“What?”

“It’s nothing.”

Gilgamesh really didn’t seem to be happy to be there. This whole thing might’ve been a mistake, but—no, Arthur was learning about him. This wasn’t a bust. Arthur smiled halfheartedly.

“I hope I remember, for your sake.”

“You won’t.”

Gilgamesh stood up and took his wineglass with him, sauntering over to the balcony that overlooked the vineyard, prompting Arthur to follow him. “Why not?”

“You can’t already, what does it matter?”

Arthur looked out across the vineyard, knowing that this line of questioning would lead him nowhere. He’d have to forgo this route and try to remember on his own. “How was school for you?”

“Boring. Easy. I graduated with honors. Now let me ask something of you.”

“…?”

“Why do you think you deserve to be forgiven?”

“I don’t—”

“No, you clearly do. You wouldn’t be trying if you weren’t angling for forgiveness.”

“No, Gilgamesh. I don’t deserve to be forgiven. Some things can’t be forgiven, but I can’t just give up on you like this. Not when you’ve done so much for me that I frankly don’t understand—it’s not every day some common escort gets a rich man dumped into their lap who wants to do everything and anything for them! I know you have to have a reason. You’re smart. I just… I guess I just wish I knew why I was worth it. Why you’re giving me your time, even now. So instead of saying a hundred different sorry’s for something I can’t apologize for, I want to get to know you! I want to understand who you are, where you stand, why you’re so…!”

“Forget it, Arthur. I just…”

Gilgamesh’s forehead creased as if he was struggling with something truly difficult. As if there were two Arthurs in his mind, one violently conflicting with the other, but neither of them were the prince.

“You’re good at forgetting. Forgetting who you belong to, forgetting important things about that person. Why don’t you just keep forgetting? It’s easier on you, isn’t it?”

“… Gilgamesh.”

Arthur seemed to reach an epiphany. Gilgamesh didn’t say anything, tipping his wine glass back.

“There’s a reason I can’t remember, isn’t there.”

“… of course there is. That’s why I’m having a hard time blaming you for it.”

“Let’s go somewhere private.” Arthur’s words had gone from soft and needling to stoic and uncertain. Gilgamesh threw down a careless amount of bills on their table to pay for the meal, before the two found a vacant upstairs room usually reserved for wedding parties and groups like that. Gilgamesh stuck his hands in his pockets, staring out the window, waiting for Arthur to ask again.

“Why? Why are you giving me the time of day? Why do you still want to continue the contract? Why don’t I remember it?”

“It’s completely understandable you don’t remember in truth, Arthur. I wasn’t being fair, trying to goad you into figuring it out for yourself. It was literally impossible.”

Gilgamesh turned to look at him.

“You were drugged.”


	14. Chapter 14

_ “Call me Saber,” The man replied, politely. _

_ Gilgamesh was no stranger to things like this, but he still looked at his companion as if hiring an escort to show them a good time was tasteless. They were here to celebrate a business deal gone right, not to get up to their necks in sex, but his companion reassured him that this was only for entertainment’s sake, nothing more than that. ‘What, I’m not entertaining enough?’ Gilgamesh laughed it off. Saber poured the both of them drinks. He was playing the role of an elegant host as the sound of music blasted through their private booth, talking just loud enough to be heard. _

_ “Isn’t he charming? Discovered him myself,” Said the man next to Gil. “I know you have a thing for guys like him, so…” _

_ Gil wasn’t a huge fan of this business partner next to him. He wasn’t a huge fan of buying people either, but he wasn’t going to take it out on Arthur. As the man next to Gil excused himself from the table, Gilgamesh took the initiative to strike up a conversation. _

_ “You know, you can turn down offers from a guy that awful,” Gilgamesh swirled his glass before taking another sip. “I’m sure you’re not hurting for clients.” _

_ “I’m very grateful for his patronage. Besides, this is one of the easier jobs you can have in my position.” _

_ “Oh?” _

_ “Usually there are more… demanding requests.” _

_ “Ah.” Gilgamesh raised his glass. “To a night off, then?” _

_ Arthur only smiled, raising his glass to meet his. _

_ The night went on, and Gilgamesh realized their waitress hadn’t been by in a long time. “I’m heading to the bar to see how our order’s going. Wait here.” _

_ He was only gone for a few minutes, but it felt like the entire atmosphere had changed the moment he got back. Arthur was looking at him nervously, but his companion was the same as ever. All of a sudden, just when Gilgamesh reached to grab his drink, Arthur took it and swapped it with his. _

_ “I think you’ll like mine more…!” He said, cheerfully. Gilgamesh remembered looking at him somewhat suspiciously, before going along with the bit. He took a sip. “—Ah. Amaretto sour?” _

_ His companion was now staring at Arthur, who held the drink in his hand. Arthur glanced around himself, and looking back on it, Gilgamesh realized he looked like a trapped animal. “Well, you went through all the trouble of stealing my drink. How does it taste?” _

_ Arthur didn’t hesitate. He downed the drink—there wasn’t much left of it in the glass, anyway. He sputtered a little, sitting back down, looking unsure. The man next to Gilgamesh seemed anxious. “I think we should send Saber home. To talk business, hm?” _

_ “Nonsense! I’m just starting to get interested in him.” Gilgamesh leaned forward with a smirk. He didn’t surround himself with people like this, usually. He thought of himself as better than that, but Arthur was proving himself interesting and charming. The conversation went on for a little bit longer before Gilgamesh noticed something was off. Arthur was maintaining conversation, but he was slumped in his seat somewhat. His eyes seemed glazed, and he couldn’t lift his neck to look at Gilgamesh properly anymore. He couldn’t even speak loudly enough to be heard. _

_ “Gilgamesh, you should…” Noise from the club was loud, now, but Gil was still listening to his every word. “…get out of here…” _

_ That’s when he realized. Saber had switched his drink with his, not as a funny little joke, but because he saw the man next to him drug his drink and wanted to protect him. He’d even drank it knowing it was laced! All because-- _

_ The next few moments were a blur. Gilgamesh had thrown the man out of the booth and threw fists, Arthur barely registering the shock of it all. A few bouncers came to break up the fight, with Gilgamesh violently thrashing, screaming that he’d drugged ‘Saber’, that he wanted that bastard locked up. As soon as he was released, he slung Arthur’s arm around his shoulders, lifting him up off the sofa and walking towards the entrance of the bar. _

_ “Who are you? Where do you live? I need to get you to the hospital…” _

_ “Nnno, don’t…” Arthur said, slurring every word. “I can’t afford it…” _

_ “I’ll PAY FOR IT. Just tell me who you are!” _

_ “Arthur Pen… dragon… seriously, don’t… bring me to the hospital… this has happened before… I can… handle it… bad for business-” _

_ Gilgamesh was horrified at the words coming out of his mouth. He’d been drugged BEFORE? And he still took the drink, knowing what it would do to him? All of this because he wanted to spare Gilgamesh from whatever horrific thing that bastard was planning to do to him! He didn’t even care that he could be traded in his place! _

_ “Where do you live?” _

_ Arthur murmured an address, and Gilgamesh put him in the passenger seat of his car, buckling him up and anxiously getting into the driver’s seat. _

_ “Why did you do it?” _

_ “Wasn’t thinking… saw him do it… should’ve just… said so…” _

_ “You’re damn right you should’ve!” His agitation was palpable, but it was nothing compared to how worried he was about his charge right now. Was it okay to just bring him back to his apartment? Gilgamesh was having a hard time thinking through it too, figuring he’d be safe at his apartment if he just brought him there. “Where do you work? I need to tell your employers what happened.” _

_ Arthur murmured the place and phone number under his breath, along with a ‘code’ that Gilgamesh didn’t understand until he had to say it. He explained everything over the phone, and the secretary told him to just take Arthur home. Infuriated, he hung up. _

_ “It’s as if not a damn person here cares what happens to you!” _

_ “It’s fine… how it is…” _

_ Gilgamesh felt a knot tighten in his throat. Would Arthur even remember this the next day? Should he? This was traumatic and horrifying. He’d never guessed someone like an escort would live day to day like this. That he would just sacrifice himself to protect someone else. _

_ He’d make it up to Arthur in the best of ways. Even as he dragged him out of his car, took Arthur’s keys, and unlocked the door—letting him lay down on his sofa and watching him drift off, completely trusting of Gil… or perhaps too far gone to care… _

_ Gilgamesh resolved to do two things. _

_ First, he wouldn’t remind him of this night if he didn’t remember. He didn’t want credit for helping Arthur when Arthur was the one who saved him, and he didn’t want to dredge up painful memories. _

_ Second, he’d give him an out from this life. _

\--

Arthur stared at Gilgamesh, dumbstruck as he finished his story.

“There’s no way, I don’t remember any of that. I don’t even remember the parts before I was drugged--”

“You wouldn’t. I found out personally that what he gave you basically would’ve stolen your memory for that entire evening, which was naturally meant for me. By the way, I had him taken care of.”

Arthur sputtered. “Killed…?”

“No, but he’s probably wishing I did.”

Arthur was unsure what to say. His tale of heroics didn’t register in his mind at all. Furthermore, that didn’t detract from what he did to Gilgamesh. He decided to reward him, and how did he repay him? By breaking the contract, but Gilgamesh wasn’t going to have any of it.

“That’s how I know you’re a good person despite what you did, Arthur. You didn’t care one bit about your own wellbeing and saved me. That’s how I know, at least, that you’re trying, rather than faking it for your own security. I shouldn’t have put in an exclusivity contract. I just… wanted you all to myself, that’s all. I didn’t want the same thing happening to you ever again with someone else. You had become something more than an escort to me. I wanted things to work out between us, but I was forcing it just as much as you were forcing yourself to tolerate me.”

“I don’t just tolerate you, Gil. I mean… sure, at first that was the case.” Arthur folded his hands. “I know I didn’t make the best impression. Were you so aggressive about getting me new things because you wanted to make it up to me?”

“Something like that.”

“Please… let me try again.”

“…?”

“I did everything wrong the first time. I didn’t treat you like a friend. I thought I had to keep my distance from you in order not to get involved, but now I can see that’s what you wanted. In truth… do you remember what I said about love back in Fiji?”

“Yeah.” Gilgamesh laughed dryly. “You said it was your ‘kink’.”

“I was too worried I was going to confuse my feelings for you—and Lancelot—as something more than what was really going on. I thought he loved me, and that’s why I gave in. Or maybe I just felt sorry for him, loving me… knowing I couldn’t give anything back. I’m so fucked up. I’m sorry I dragged you into my life.”

“Don’t be sorry, Arthur.” He was still focusing on the window, trying to steel his nerves. “At least you know now why I was so upset—and at the same time, why I was willing to forgive you.”

Arthur was quiet for a few moments. It felt wrong to take credit for something heroic that he couldn’t remember—as if that belonged to a different Arthur, someone else. However, it was clear that Arthur had done it. In truth, he knew he was the kind of person who wouldn’t let someone else get drugged, so that wasn’t far off… but he was the kind of person to break hearts, so it seemed.

“Can we start over?”

“Hm?”

“Can we start fresh? Not just as a client and as an escort, but as friends? I won’t ask you to feel sorry for me, for whatever I did, but I want to treat you better this time around. I understand that cheating makes it hard, but—”

“Arthur, it wasn’t really cheating. We weren’t in a relationship.”

“But it felt like one to you.”

“… that may be, but I went about it wrong also. I could have befriended you outside of your work, but I was so set on rewarding you for what you did, I didn’t realize that by putting distance between myself and what you did, it would just seem like I was throwing money at the problem and annoying you. Of course, you wanted companionship more than money. You wouldn’t have run into another man’s arms if you didn’t.”

“… I still am really grateful for what you did for me. That’s why I want to make it right.” Arthur stood up, taking Gilgamesh’s hand into his own. “Not to keep myself comfortable, but because I can tell you wanted to hide everything for my sake. Because you wanted to make me happy. It’s only right I do the same for you.”

“Arthur… didn’t I tell the prince to fuck off?”

“This isn’t the prince. This is me.”

Gilgamesh covered his face, lost in thought. He was still mad, that much was true, but in telling Arthur the truth about how they met, Arthur seemed to understand him a bit more. He understood why Gilgamesh did what he did, and they could truly move on from that point.

“You can’t… break your contract anymore,” He said finally. “If you’re going to do this, I need to know you really will be mine.”

“I promise.”

Gilgamesh wrapped his hand around Arthur’s, squeezing tightly.

“Let’s go home.”

\--

Back at Arthur’s apartment, the two were stretched out across the bed, holding hands as they spoke quietly about their lives. No sex, just staring at the ceiling as they conversed as dusk began to fall through the glass windows, streaming blue light across their forms. Cavall II sat at the foot of the bed, looking between them as they spoke and silently itching to go on a walk.

“To answer your question, no, my parents and I aren’t close.”

“Really? You’d think letting you use all of that money—”

“They wouldn’t dare cut me off. I’m too much of an investment for them.”

Arthur turned his head to look at him. Gilgamesh seemed to be watching the rotating ceiling fan more than he was paying attention to the conversation. “What would they think of me?”

“Well,” Gilgamesh began. “They’d commentate on your lack of child-bearing hips.”

Arthur snorted. “We can’t all be born with hips like yours.”

“You know what I mean, Arthur.”

“I know, just poking fun. Plus, you have nice hips.”

“Thanks…” Gilgamesh trailed off. “Anyway, I’m not sure they’d have any opinion on you at all. They would just think you were another fling of mine. They’re probably surprised this has lasted for so long.”

“You’re not one for relationships?”

“It’s people using me that gets me. Everyone is looking to date upwards, and I’m at the top of the food chain. It doesn’t matter if it’s an actress or a model or anything—I’m arm candy and a bottomless wallet.”

“Good thing you won’t have that problem with me.”

“Hah! Yeah, I guess I don’t. You’re surprisingly genuine, Arthur. You didn’t even want to hide your guilt the moment you did something wrong.”

Arthur bit his lip at the memory, but let it wash over him, not resisting it any longer. Hard to think that was only a few weeks ago that he broke Gilgamesh’s trust in him completely. “I don’t think something like that is praiseworthy. It’s just what you should do.”

“Including drinking someone else’s roofied drink?”

“I couldn’t tell you my logic behind that one. I don’t remember, for one.” Arthur paused. “Maybe I was just worried about making a scene while on the job.”

“That’s the saddest damn thing I’ve ever heard.” Gilgamesh sounded unamused.

“Well, it wasn’t the first time.”

“What was the first time?”

Arthur’s throat went dry just thinking about it. He must have been really messed up to want to talk about that when he was drugged. He didn’t even like thinking of it now. It was a painful memory, even if the memory was mostly absent. “Can we save that one for another day? I’ll tell you though, I promise.”

Gil rolled over onto his side, facing Arthur. “How do you handle a job like this? I mean, now that you’ll never have to go back to it again—”

“It was just… I needed the money. I was staring down debt and I didn’t have a choice. I worked three jobs before I started working as an escort, and it still wasn’t enough to both pay rent and my monthly loan payments. It was just really hard to get by, I’m—”

“No…” He trailed off. “We’re worlds apart, Arthur. I can’t hope to understand what it’s like to be in your shoes any more than you can understand what it’s like to be in mine.” He sat up, placing his hands by either side of Arthur’s head, leaning over him. “Still, I understand you a bit better. I can see this job has been unhealthy for you. Swear to me you’ll quit.”

Arthur blinked up at him tiredly. “I can’t quit until my contract with you is up.”

“I mean after, naturally.” Gilgamesh moved to straddle his hips now, getting comfortable using Arthur as a seat.

“Don’t worry, I have no intention of going back to it. I don’t need to anymore.”

Gilgamesh gazed down at him, hands resting on his stomach as he kept himself up. He’d given so much to Arthur, but he’d never experienced kindness like what Arthur did for him that evening in November. Arthur would’ve been a heinous person for doing nothing, yet in doing what was right, he proved that he was an exceptional human being. It was hard to reconcile that with what he’d done with Lancelot, it was hard to say that the two actions canceled each other out—life didn’t work that way. Now that Arthur knew what he did for Gil, and didn’t seem to care one way or another, still just harping on how bad he felt for doing him wrong—it was easy to see Arthur’s true colors.

He leaned down to kiss him, which Arthur hesitantly returned.

“How is it you’re both the person I’d trust with my life, yet the one I’m hesitant to trust with my heart?”

“Give me time,” Arthur said, resolutely. “I’ll show you I can handle both.”

Gilgamesh seemed satisfied with that answer because he dipped down to kiss him one more time.


	15. Chapter 15

Gilgamesh began crashing at Arthur’s place almost nightly.

He preferred it to going home, even if he could get his own apartment—he was paying for this one, so why not? Just as easily as he could snap his fingers and get the apartment next to Arthur’s, he figured he wasn’t going to go through all the trouble. Plus, some part of him wanted to stick close to Arthur. He wanted to see him prove his words, and therefore, gave him ample opportunity.

They still hadn’t had sex, though. Not since Gilgamesh made his move before. It was clear they were waiting for the right moment, free of the bonds of awkward thoughts and timing. Arthur had spent a lot of time cooking, refining new recipes and using Gil as a test subject for them—who never really had anything bad to say about it, despite his affinity for expensive food. Still, both were wondering when the ‘silence’ would be broken between them—just because Arthur had now broken the illusion that he was under a normal contract didn’t mean he knew if Gil was ready.

Gil was needy for his touch, though, that much was certain. When Arthur would sit down on the sofa to read the paper or watch TV, there, as certain as anything, would be Gilgamesh, laying against his leg and relaxing as if Arthur were a pillow just for him. Even when they slept in the same bed, Gilgamesh gravitated towards his warmth. Arthur was just unsure how to make a move—if any was necessary at all.

He started with a kiss.

Gilgamesh was so much his size, only an inch’s difference in height, that he borrowed Arthur’s clothes regularly. As he finished getting dressed for work, he grabbed his laptop bag and headed for the door, where Arthur was waiting. Arthur waited for just a moment before kissing him on the corner of his lips, as Gilgamesh assessed him carefully and went in for a proper one before heading out the door.

Arthur collapsed on the sofa after. Reading Gilgamesh was like trying to read a dense Babylonian tablet with no guide for translation. He wanted so badly for things to go back to normal that he hadn’t even considered what that would take. Perhaps all he needed were these little steps, these little practiced pieces of normalcy that would come back naturally.

Everything from ‘that’ day gave an intense sense of regret, but one thing that stuck out in his mind was the phone call. Gilgamesh was so into it… and he didn’t even know he himself could talk that dirty, he was just spitballing to accommodate his request. He had memorized that kind of talk from other clients who slept with him, who presumed Arthur would like it—but saying it himself, he could see the power in those words.

Before he knew it, his hand was wandering to the clasp of his pants, undoing it and thinking about how it really happening. If things just went back to normal, or if that day had never happened in the first place—he could imagine Gilgamesh pinning him to his kitchen island, working his belt off, telling him he’d better make a real demonstration of dominating him if he wanted to impress him.

Before he knew it, he was stroking himself, thinking of Gil and his unfortunate gag reflex as he tried to fight through it to please him, saliva dribbling down his chin, waiting for Arthur to grab him by the hair and make him do it himself—oh, god, he’d choke him half to death but he’d get himself off one way or one way or another. The thought of his eyes on him, my god, the thought of him watching as tears welled up in his eyes but he still determinedly fought through it…

“Arthur, I forgot my jack…et…”

Arthur jumped nearly out of his seat, grabbed a pillow to cover his lap, and thought ‘oh god, I’m so fucked’. “It’s on the kitchen table!”

Gil just hovered his hand over the doorknob, before shutting it behind him as he entered the apartment. Staring at Arthur as he strode forward, he let his laptop bag fall onto the loveseat as he approached him. Without saying anything, he grabbed the pillow from Arthur and tossed it to the side, exposing him. Arthur moved to cover himself with his hands, but those, too, were held aside by Gilgamesh.

“Why did you wait until I left…?” He asked, curiously.

Arthur took a deep breath. “I didn’t know when the time was right to—”

“What are you thinking of?”

Arthur’s face burned scarlet.

“Hm…?” His voice verged on both curious and dangerous.

“Of our phone call when you were in Sweden…”

Gilgamesh’s eyes lit up with interest. Apparently, that call hadn’t left his mind either, for a number of reasons. There were of course, the bad reasons. It was hard not to forget what that call made Arthur do… but there were good reasons as well. It was hot as hell, for one thing, and apparently it was still affecting Arthur. Still, Gilgamesh wasn’t about to let him off the hook for this. He knelt in front of Arthur, letting go of his hands as he teased the head of his cock with the tip of his finger.

“Oh?” Gilgamesh feigned sounding bored. “I don’t know what on Earth about that would keep your attention, after everything.”

“You were just really intense…” Arthur tried to keep the touch out of his mind as he cleared his thoughts. “And the thought of you hasn’t left my mind.”

“At least you’re honest.” Now he worked himself up to stroking him, keeping his half-lidded eyes on Arthur, who wasn’t sure if he had permission to touch back—he’d love to put his hand in Gilgamesh’s hair, but it was always so meticulously done before work. “Let’s see, you probably want me to do something like this, right?”

Laying his tongue flat at the middle of his cock, he dragged it upward until he’d given the head a full lick… and as soon as he’d done it, he leaned away as if he were bored again. Arthur’s hands gripped the edge of the sofa, and Gilgamesh took proud note. The last time he did this, he wasn’t so exceptionally skilled, but the second time’s the charm. “Too bad. I don’t feel like it.”

“Gil, please…”

“Oh? Are you going to beg?” God, it was good to have power, wrenching it out of Arthur’s hands as he teased him with it. Arthur couldn’t help himself anymore, he put his hand on the top of Gilgamesh’s head and tried to make him do it again, only he wouldn’t budge.

“You’ve got some nerve, messing up my hair—”

Arthur was at a loss for what to do before getting the right idea, taking inspiration from the call itself leaned forward just slightly enough, whispering; “Do it and I’ll fuck you so hard you’ll limp to work.”

That was more Gilgamesh’s language. No ‘please’ or ‘thank you’s, just a rough demand that promised more. With one talented hand, he continued to stroke him and with the other, he whipped out his phone to text someone ‘Late. Traffic. Be there soon’ before casting it to the other side of the sofa. Arthur’s hand pressed him downward, this time giving in and closing his lips around the head, this much he could handle without threatening to bite or choking himself, but Arthur gave a soft ‘tsk’ and shoved his head down a bit more. “If you don’t take it in…”

“I know, I know. It won’t be as good.” Now that Arthur was guiding him through the finer points instead of, say, letting turbulence on a plane do the work for him, he found this easier to handle. Little whispers of encouragement and directions along with dirty talk helped him take Arthur in down to a little over half—but any more than that and he’d choke for sure. At least, that’s what he thought—Arthur shoved his head down just a little bit more, and he determinedly fought the urge to gag. Hearing Arthur groan above him appreciatively was enough for him, even as he had to pull himself off to breathe.

“You like it?”

“I love it, but I like it a little rough.”

“I know you d—mmph!” Arthur had shoved his head down once more, now careless enough to grip his hair and drag him down by his bangs, pushing his hips out as he leaned back against the sofa and spreading his legs to their fullest reach. Over and over, he dragged him down again, to the point where Gilgamesh’s eyeliner was running. It was like swimming above ground—he had to take his breaths where he could get them before Arthur threatened to suffocate him. Each time he pat Arthur’s hip, Arthur would deign to let go and he could catch his breath for a few moments before he forced him back down.

It was several minutes of this cycle before Arthur came, this time Gilgamesh holding his head still as he felt his cock twitch in his mouth, but he still wouldn’t swallow. Immediately, he took a handkerchief from his front pocket and spat it all out, still heaving with exhaustion from Arthur’s efforts. At least now the chastity between them had been broken—as Arthur’s head lolled back onto the edge of the sofa, basking in the moment, Gilgamesh looked at his watch and said “Oh, shit. I really have to go.”

“But—”

“I have to be there today. I’m taking a raincheck on getting fucked until I get home.” He used his phone as a mirror and scoffed at his eyes and hair. “I’m borrowing your bathroom to fix all of this and then I’m gone.”

“Sorry—”

“Don’t be. That was… rather enjoyable, even if I thought I was going to die for a few seconds. Or perhaps because of it.”

As Gilgamesh closed the bathroom door behind him, Arthur resolved to clean up around himself, grateful to have time to recover before that evening. He had a feeling Gilgamesh would be extra demanding for all that effort.

\--

And he was, make no mistake.

The entire afternoon was peppered with dirty texts from Gil, all the while waiting to get home as he sat through board meetings and paperwork and the like. Arthur made sure to answer each one, but he refused to send any pictures this time, as he wasn’t sure who would be looking over Gil’s shoulder when. When Gil threw open the door to the apartment after a long day, Arthur surprised him by being dressed down… in nothing but pants and an apron.

“I hope this is sexy because trying to cook in this has burnt my skin more than on—” Gilgamesh simply shut him up with a kiss and took him by the wrist, dragging him to their shared bedroom.

\--

Sometime after, as they were regaining their bearings and trying to rest, Arthur’s phone rang. Unfortunately, it was on Gil’s side of the bed, who picked it up.

“’Sis’…” He said, reading the contact name.

“Oh, that’s my—”

Before letting him answer, Gilgamesh swiped the screen and said. “Hello?”

Arthur scrambled to take the phone away from him, but Gilgamesh held it just out of reach. “Hello?” Said the voice on the other line. “Hello? Who is this? Why do you have my brother’s phone?”

Planting his hand on Arthur’s chest to keep him away, Gilgamesh answered coolly. “I’m his partner. Who’s this?”

“Partner?!” She exclaimed. “You mean—”

“Yep. Arthur’s right here, taking a nap.” Arthur made another swipe for the phone, which Gilgamesh held just out of reach. “Can I take a message?”

“You can wake him up and have him explain why he didn’t tell me he had a boyfriend…” Artoria answered suspiciously, not sure if this was a prank or not. “Who are you, anyway?”

“Call me Gil. It looks like you’re in luck, Arthur just woke up. Here he is.” Gilgamesh _finally_ relented the phone back to Arthur, who scrambled to answer. What was his deal? Did he not trust him? Besides, who else would ‘Sis’ be?

“H- hey, Artoria…”

“Are you serious? You got a boyfriend and didn’t tell me?” She didn’t necessarily sound mad, just surprised. Ever since their parents died, the two shared every secret one another had—that was, until Arthur got a job as an escort. Embarrassed, Arthur responded.

“I was just… waiting for the right time,” He said, finally. “I was hoping I could bring him to meet you—”

“Not only that, you moved. The address you sent me for your new apartment is in downtown. How can you afford that? Did your internship start paying you or something?”

Gilgamesh was watching him with his arms crossed. Arthur didn’t realize it at the moment, but he’d put Artoria on speaker before passing the phone back to him. “No, actually… my boyf—my partner is paying for it.”

There was a long silence on the other end of the phone. “You’re not taking advantage of them, are you—” She didn’t suspect that of him, but it was still really weird for him to have a boyfriend who was paying for his apartment.

“No, it was his idea!” Arthur glanced at Gilgamesh apologetically, who was still simply watching. “He basically lives here with me now anyway. I think you’d like him.”

That was a bald-faced lie if he ever spoke one, not as though either of them would know it at the time. Artoria frequently quoted ‘eat the rich’ at him whenever she had the chance, as they both commiserated about money problems ever since their parents’ deaths. Finally realizing the precarious position he was in, it wouldn’t be wise for Artoria and Gil to meet at all. Then again, it was almost certainly inevitable that they would.

“Well, bring him home sometime. I need to make sure he’s good enough for you,” Her voice now sounded soft and pleased. “It sounds like he’s doing good by you anyway. Anyway, how are you? Are you still working that job?”

“… I—yeah. Yeah, I’m still at the internship.” Though it was dark in their room, he could see Gilgamesh was judging him intensely. “My partner pays for most things, though…”

“Are they rich or something?”

“They have a very good job,” Arthur not-lied.

“They must if they’re putting you up in an apartment,” Oh god, Arthur realized. What on earth was he going to do about his car? If Artoria ever visited the states, there was no hiding the car. “Do I hear barking?”

“Yeah! I, uh, he got me a puppy…”

“It sounds like things are serious between you two.” Oh no. When Artoria’s voice was that unreadable, that wasn’t good.

“Fairly serious! Yes, things have absolutely gotten serious—”

“Bring him home, then. I need to meet the guy. You’re due to fly back soon anyway, right?”

Right… Arthur hadn’t requested the time off, yet, but he was supposed to… oh jeez. “I’ll ask him if he has time. What are you doing up so late?”

“Up so early, you mean. I got a morning shift. Take care, Arthur. Don’t be a stranger.”

Arthur sighed as he hung up, and Gilgamesh sized him up.

“Why are you lying so much to your sister?”

To hear it put that way, out in the open, made Arthur’s heart sink. “I can’t just tell her I’m an escort now, she’d kill me. For not telling her in the first place. She would’ve made me fly home and settle my debt on her own, and I can’t do that to her. She’s just that kind of person. I can’t force everything on her shoulders.”

“Well, she’s going to find out eventually. Lies like this snowball, Arthur, you know it. The more you put it off, the worse it’ll become.”

Arthur’s voice faltered. “Would you tell your sibling you became an escort? If you had to become one?”

“If they needed to know, sure. I’m not ashamed of myself, Arthur, and if it became an issue of my safety—_as it obviously has been for you_—I’d want someone to know what I was doing.”

“But she’d want to stop me.”

“You probably needed to be stopped a long time ago. Like before you decided drugging yourself was the best way out of a bad situation.”

Gil’s scolding was harsh but necessary. Arthur looked at his phone guiltily, before lifting his head and speaking again. “If she knew you were my client, she’d never approve of us.”

“I’d just tell her the truth. That we’re more serious than client and escort. That I paid for your time essentially to repay a debt to you, and what we’re doing now is more akin to a relationship proper.”

“You’re right…” It didn’t stop the sinking pit in Arthur’s stomach at the very idea of telling his sister what he’d been doing with his time. She’d throw a chair at him— or maybe she would react with those serious, piercing eyes and ask him why he’d lied to her for so long. She’d asked what he got up to, how bad it got, and then they’d get on… that… topic…

“She’d kill _you_. She’d kill _me_.” Arthur said, finally.

“Somehow, I think she’ll be thinking of you more than what to do to you. Arthur, you were in a very dangerous situation for a long time. It’s only fair that she knows.”

“I’ll think about it.”

Gil was clearly disappointed and stood up off the bed. “If that’s what you need to do. _Think_ about it, sure.”

He wandered off to the bathroom to clean up, and Arthur focused on the window outside. Grateful for the fact these floor-to-ceiling windows were tinted, he didn’t want to imagine what people would see if they weren’t. He realized, then, that he had a lot to hide that he didn’t just need a tinted window for. He’d essentially been lying to his own sister for ages now. Gilgamesh was naturally upset with him for doing this.

“… after trying to make things right, I’m still messing up, huh…”

He said it to himself in the quiet twilight, before turning away from the window to join Gil in the shower.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING WARNING: This is going to become my NaNoWriMo project until it hits 100k! Let's see if I can keep a plot going that long! Hell yeah!

The thing about lies was that when someone pointed it out so blatantly that it was a bad thing he should be avoiding, Arthur couldn’t help but finally confront his conscience. He had one, after all, and it was a noisy beast. It demanded that Arthur come clean to Artoria and that he do it soon, so not long after their conversation in bed, Arthur began asking Gil if he’d take days off to go and visit his sister with him.

“Wouldn’t I just complicate things? Or are you hoping for a meat shield?” He asked, bored, flipping through papers on the sofa and occasionally eating a potato chip.

“No, she wanted to meet you, and… I think it’s good that you meet her, too. I need to come clean about you, too. That you’re not just a boyfriend, you’re…”

“A client.” Gilgamesh finished his sentence for him, stacking the papers and shoving them back into a folder. “Very well. I’ll get the weekend off for you. I have a feeling you’re going to need me as moral support so you don’t chicken out of this, either.”

\--

There would be no private jet, though.

Arthur insisted it was for the best to be inconspicuous, and Gilgamesh bit back that if he wanted him to spend the next seven hours in total discomfort, he’d succeeded. When Arthur put his foot down that honestly, no two people needed to be put on a single jet and make the environmental crisis worse, Gilgamesh lost the argument. He felt like a plebian even in first class, with Arthur sitting next to him. He even noted that a few of the businessmen flying first class were ones he’d worked with—though he refused to make eye contact with them and acknowledge their existence.

Arthur’s heart was doing jumping jacks as they pulled out of their parked position and disembarked because he couldn’t fly there and not tell her. He’d have to tell her the truth one way or another, with Gil’s support or without it, and he really, sincerely hoped Artoria wouldn’t kill either of them. Still, his sister had a good head on her shoulder and was miles cleverer than he was. She’d probably suspected something was up this entire time. Looking to his side, he saw Gilgamesh perusing a museum gallery book like it were a shopping magazine.

“You really do like ancient artifacts, don’t you?” He recalled what Ishtar told him. Maybe that visit wasn’t such a total bust.

“It’s nice to get things that once belonged to the ancient and powerful. It feels like passing them down to their rightful counterparts of the modern era.” Even now, Gil’s ego was… “This particular museum is going out of business. I’m going to be attending a private auction and getting everything I can get my hands on.”

Arthur stared for a moment. “What will you do with all of it?”

“Oh, you know. Some I’ll keep in a vault, some I might decorate our apartment with.” _Our_ apartment? So he really was considering himself living there… it was no surprise, as Gil had made himself comfortable enough to start keeping his own clothes there as of late. The thought of his apartment filled with treasure that was so easily breakable made Arthur almost nervous.

“Well, I’m sure you’ll win everything you want,” If he had five million to spend on an escort, who knew what he could spend on a museum auction? Gilgamesh rarely, if ever, acted like he had a budget.

“I know I will. There’s no need for well wishes, Pendragon.”

Arthur left him to his book as he relaxed in his seat, watching the endless ocean below. Flights like this could be comforting, if he just had something else on his mind other than telling Artoria ‘surprise, sister! I’m a prostitute now, and this is my sugar daddy’. Maybe he wouldn’t word it… that poorly, or that inviting of violence, but the sentiment remained the same.

He would be telling Artoria one way or another.

\--

When they landed in London, his sister was there to greet him in a warm sweater and a big smile. It had been well over a year since they last saw one another, not since Arthur’s graduation, where they scraped together the funds to have a visit and hang out. Artoria stood back and gave a suspicious look to Arthur’s companion, who was too well dressed and too flashy for her tastes. Immediately, Arthur sensed something was amiss between the two of them, but Gilgamesh was as smooth with her as he was with him—somewhat uninvitedly.

“You must be the sister.”

“And you must be the boyfriend,” She said, crossing her arms before sticking her hand out. “Artoria. A pleasure.”

“The pleasure is all mine.” He leaned down to kiss it, before Artoria retracted her hand. A decent sense of politeness prevented her from bringing it up, but he’d already made a strange impression. Who kissed hands in 2019?

“Right, well, it’s going to be a coach ride back home, so let’s get your luggage.”

“Hold on, this is my first time in London for enjoyment rather than business,” Gilgamesh said. Artoria raised an eyebrow. A businessman? “Why don’t we take in the sights? Visit some dead kings, as Arthur put it.”

They must be close if they talked about those old vacations… Artoria felt a little more relieved that this pompous guy knew her brother so well. Still, why had Arthur never told her about him? Time to get some answers.

“When did you two meet?”

“November… of last year.”

“Mhm. And when did you start dating?”

“January.”

“It’s practically May, Arthur! You decided to hide him for that long?”

Arthur rubbed the back of his head. “Well, it was hard to explain…”

“Oh, so saying ‘I have a boyfriend’ is hard now? You know I won’t judge. I’ve known you were gay since before you knew it.”

Gilgamesh looked at him somewhat surprised. Gay, not bisexual? He thought he took clients of all kinds… maybe he was keeping another unnecessary secret from Artoria or maybe he just never bothered to clarify. As the two pulled their luggage up from the baggage carousel, the siblings wondered what exactly they were going to do with their stuff if they were going to tour London for the day, but as soon as they spoke about it, Gilgamesh whipped out his phone and immediately dialed a hotel in the heart of the city.

“Good luck, there’s an international convention going on right now—"

“Mhm, two beds. You’ll have it ready? My family name is—” At the sound of that, both of the Pendragons could hear the sound of the person on the other line scrambling. “You’ll have it ready by the time we get there? Thanks.” And with that, he hung up.

Artoria wasn’t one to beat around the bush at all. “You’re wealthy, aren’t you?”

“Of course. Babylonia Enterprises’ only heir.”

Artoria stared at Arthur like her eyes were going to leave their sockets. Arthur knew Gilgamesh wouldn’t cover for him, and even Babylonia was well known in London as a fast-track company that had been around since the early 1900s. One might as well have told her Gilgamesh was the sole Rockefeller heir and she’d be just as aghast. Immediately, she went after Arthur with questions, asking if he hid this because he knew she’d have things to say—

“Your sister doesn’t censor herself for anyone, does she?” Gilgamesh asked, hailing a cab.

“You’re damn right I don’t. Now I see why an apartment that should be costing a fortune is my brother’s now.” Normally, any family member would be happy that their sibling got such a catch, but Artoria was smarter than the average person. One secret lead to more secrets. “You’ve been putting him up this entire time?”

“Can’t be seen with him in a little flat in a bad part of town. Dating me means upgrading.”

“Oh? Well, I hope you’ll find my place accommodating.” She bit back, sarcastically.

“Nonsense. You’ll be staying with us in the hotel for our stay.”

“Is that all planned out according to you?”

“It is.”

Artoria looked at Arthur suspiciously. “Are you engaged to him or something, and that’s why you won’t say anything?”

Gilgamesh laughed so loudly it scared people walking by, even as they threw their luggage into the back of the cab he was still tittering to himself, as if to say ‘please… _engaged_.’ None of this put Artoria at ease at all. No one should be so mocking of their partner. As she forced Arthur in after Gilgamesh and made sure he served as a barrier between the two of them, she continued.

“So, are you hoping for my approval?”

“Sis…”

“Because if you think you can keep secrets and make me feel better about them by springing them on me suddenly, you’ve got another thing coming.”

“It’s not that at all,” Arthur said, quietly. “I came here hoping to talk to you, and Gilgamesh is a part of that decision. I know I can live my life without your approval, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want it.” He put his hand on hers gently. “We have a lot to discuss. Maybe after the tour we can talk about it?”

Artoria glanced his way for a single moment before squeezing his hand back and smiling in a halfhearted way. She’d missed her brother, and if he’d kept secrets, he probably did it for a good reason. That being said… Arthur having a good reason didn’t bode well. She was worried about what she might find out about him, and what she might find out about Gil. Why someone in the upper echelons might take an interest in her sibling was beyond her, and she wasn’t keen on becoming an in-law.

\--

As soon as their luggage was safely in their room, the trio began to wander the city together, checking out the old churches, much to Gilgamesh’s curiosity.

“I’m usually one for more dated cultures. Egyptian society, my company’s namesake… but there is something elegant about a church like this. Funny to know we’re walking on the graves of kings.”

“You’re like a modern-day king with your wealth and influence,” Artoria said sarcastically. “You should feel right at home here with all these bones.”

Gilgamesh seemed impressed that Artoria was so eager to clash against him. From the perspective of someone “dating” her brother, her suspicion was merited, and from the perspective of someone far above her in society, her anger was merited from her powerlessness. He liked people who were unafraid to challenge him, like Arthur had been when he peeled away the Prince persona, or what he thought of it. Artoria was about two steps away from calling him a spoiled brat, just like Arthur did. The apples that fell from the tree did not fall far apart at all.

“You’re feisty. I expected as much from his sister, but I have to say I’m pleased.”

“Oh, _I’m so glad_ you find me interesting.” Artoria bit back. “Shouldn’t you be focusing on your boyfriend?”

“You’re right. Arthur, how often did you visit these churches with your sister?”

“Oh, lots of times. We lived a half-hour away from London while growing up. It was always on school trips, and family trips… it’s actually quite nostalgic to come back to this.”

“Hmm.”

“What do you think?”

“I think… it’s a waste that all those kings were buried with jewels on their fingers that could be liberated to history.”

“You mean to the wealthy,” Artoria snapped back. Gilgamesh chuckled.

“Whatever do you mean? I said I wasn’t interested in cultures like this.”

“Yeah, yeah…” Artoria walked back down the aisle and Gilgamesh gave Arthur a knowing smirk.

“You’re going to have a hell of a time talking to her.”

“I know…”

“Well, don’t chicken out. She needs to know.”

Arthur nodded, resolutely.

\--

Gilgamesh picked up the check for dinner, and the hotel room, as well as everything else. Their hotel room had a balcony, and as Gilgamesh yawned and said he was going to retire, that jet lag was getting to him, he gave Arthur a glance that said ‘you do what you need to’. Arthur could only nod before inviting Artoria out onto the balcony, who had prepared a cup of tea from the hotel amenities.

“It’s freezing out here. What do you want to talk about?”

Arthur shrugged off his jacket for her, which she gratefully accepted. In a long-sleeved shirt, he now sat in the chair opposite of her, knowing Gilgamesh was listening to the sound of their voices. He’d better get honest fast.

“You know the internship? The unpaid one?”

“Yeah… don’t tell me you met him at that—”

“No.” Something about the tone of Arthur’s voice was somber and Artoria didn’t like it. She already knew this conversation was headed somewhere that would test them as siblings. “There is no unpaid internship anymore. Not since February.”

“Wh—” She put down her cup of tea and and crossed her arms. “Then what the hell are you doing? Your debt is phenomenal, are you just going to wait for some American loan shark to come and—and break your kneecaps—”

“There’s no more loan either. I’ve taken care of it.”

“You mean _he_ has, don’t you?”

“He paid me, so yes.”

Artoria looked at him, now more nervous than suspicious. “… what did he pay you for?”

“I…” Arthur felt his throat go dry, wondering if he should steel himself now or veer off for her contentment. “I no longer work three jobs, either.”

“What did he pay you for, Arthur?”

Arthur took a deep sigh, knowing he’d have to stop her from running in and killing him. “He paid for me. For my body. Artoria, wait—”

He grabbed her by the shoulders and sat her down back into her chair, even as she was livid, he tried to explain. “He’s not the first.”

“What…?”

“It’s just what I said. I… worked for a love hotel for the past year.”

Artoria covered her mouth in shock, staring at Arthur with an intense gaze that betrayed her horror. “_Arthur_…”

“I refinanced my loans and they screwed me over. I was desperate. A girl in my class showed me where she worked and they evaluated me. Told me I’d be good for business. I started the next day… Artoria, I’m so sorry, but he’s the person you should be mad at the least. I did so many messed up things… and he came along because he wanted to save me from all that. He made sure he had an exclusive contract with me,” Arthur swallowed, knowing he broke it. “So that I wouldn’t have to do it anymore.”

Tears were spilling from her eyes, knowing that her brother had to face all of that on his own made her sick. “Why didn’t you—Why didn’t you tell me!?”

“Because I knew you would never approve. You’d make me move back home and take the loans on yourself.” He reached over, putting his hand over hers. “I couldn’t burden you like that. You take on everyone’s problems, and I needed to be self-sufficient. But… in the end, all I did was get into a lot of trouble. That’s why Gilgamesh helped me.”

“What kind of trouble?!” She _demanded_, needing to know he was safe, first and foremost.

“I’ve… been drugged, on the job before, and—”

That was all she needed to hear to grab him and pull him to his feet before hugging him and crying into his shirt. It broke her heart that he hid this so she _wouldn’t worry about him_, that he needed to stop her from getting involved lest he was unable to help himself. All of that pain, all of that suffering, he’d shouldered it himself, she yelled at him, and for what? To isolate yourself from your family, to do things he was never meant to do?

“Tell me who this Gilgamesh guy is to you, really.” She demanded, wiping tears from her face.

“He… I stopped him from being drugged by a coworker. He was so grateful he bought me for the year, but our relationship has become… less than professional, but not quite intimate, either. It’s hard to explain. He’s not really my boyfriend, but he did save me from having to work in that job ever again. And—and it was five million dollars, Artoria!” He tried to lighten the mood, shaking her shoulders. “We don’t have to worry about money ever again once the year is up! I can move back, and we can move to our old hometown again, and—”

Artoria struck him across the face.

“Do you think I care about m—_money_!?” She exclaimed. “I care about you, Arthur! Letting yourself get violated for money and justifying it no matter what the number is, do you have any idea how you could have gotten hurt? Gotten sick? Gotten killed? You need to tell me everything, from the very start, and only then will I consider forgiving you.”

Artoria reacted to him just the same as Gilgamesh reacted when he told him about Lancelot. It cemented in his mind how much damage his lies could really do; how much hurt they could cause someone if they weren’t told the truth initially. Still… did he regret it? He could never burden her. Never. At the same time, her broken-hearted expression told him he needed to tell her sooner rather than later. All of this was weighing down on her immensely.

As they talked into the night, Gilgamesh listened for the sliding glass door to open and heard Artoria’s hiccups from crying for so long, as she tried to regain her composure as she slipped into the bed next to theirs. Arthur looked tired, exhausted even, but as Gilgamesh’s red eyes glinted up at him, he gave him a thumbs up. He’d told her everything, every detail. Gilgamesh patted the spot next to him on the bed.

Arthur curled up next to him, and Gil drew him into his arms as Arthur stopped fighting back his own soft sobbing.

\--

The time came for them to fly back to New York, and Artoria had regained her composure immensely.

“Now that we’re a family of millionaires, I’m counting on you to fly home once a month.” She ordered Arthur. “You can afford it, and if we’re going to buy a new house in our old hometown, I need your help cleaning up all of Mum and Dad’s things. These aren’t requests, Arthur. If you have time off with your… employer, you use them to come see me. And no more secrets.”

“None whatsoever.”

“And you—” Artoria turned to Gilgamesh, who’d only been half paying attention. He looked at her with a ‘hm?’

She surprised both when she walked up to him and gave him a tight hug. Awkwardly, Gil pat her shoulder and looked at Arthur as if to go ‘???’. She pat his back once before letting go.

“Thank you for taking care of my idiot brother. And thank you for everything you’ve done for the family. I misjudged you. Come visit anytime with Arthur,” She smiled slightly. “But I’ll put you to work just the same as I will for him.”

“… understood,” He said, quietly.

As the two departed for their flight, Artoria waved after them gently, having a better understanding of her brother than she did before, and while she didn’t approve of his current job, at the very least, he was safe, in good hands, and would be back home by the end of the year.

\--

“Did you tell her everything?”

“Every last thing,” Arthur responded quietly.

“… did you tell her about the first time you were dru—”

“Yes.”

Gilgamesh appraised him for a moment. “When will you tell me?”

“I don’t know. Not yet.”

Relaxing in his chair by the window, Gilgamesh pondered those words.

“I expect to know eventually.”

“I know. Just retelling it once was hard enough.”

In silent agreement, he let Arthur have his peace and quiet as he went back to his book.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaand we're on break until November 1st! That's when NaNo starts, and I've gotten the fic to an even 50k in the meantime.

“I just don’t know when I started doing it to protect others and stopped protecting myself.”

Arthur was going through his closet for Gil’s private auction, trying to pick out a suit that would compliment Gil’s for the evening, to his thumbs-up or thumbs-down. The two were talking over the trip visiting Artoria as they did it. It was the first, maybe the second time Arthur made himself truly vulnerable in front of Gil—who he presumed had no time for that sort of thing. Still, Gil had been surprisingly tender that moment where Arthur laid down next to him. He hadn’t said anything, but he didn’t roast him alive for daring to cry in his presence, either. It was more like a quiet acceptance that Arthur having to relive his trauma was painful, and he’d be present for it.

“You worry about others, Arthur, and you worry what you can do for them to protect them in the moment, but you don’t think of it in the long run.” Gilgamesh was… surprisingly good at analyzing him as he held aloft suits and gave his approval for one of them, finally, leaving Arthur to go change into it. “It’s how you’ve messed up with me so badly before.”

Arthur cringed as he began to put on the suit. Gilgamesh may have been kind to him before, but he certainly pulled no punches when it got down to it. “Yeah…”

“I’m surprised she hugged me.”

“I told her everything. About… how I drugged myself to save you from it, and how you mostly wanted my time to pay me back. I don’t think she’s totally okay with you sleeping with me, though. She kind of implied that the reward should’ve been enough.”

“Nonsense. It may have been a motivator, but I still wanted to put you to work to avoid suspicion. Not to mention…” Gilgamesh sized him up in the suit, how there were barely any folds, how it fit perfectly on his body. “I do kind of have a thing for heroes.”

“I’m no hero.”

“Hmm… well, your actions at the time were certainly stupidly heroic. All right, let’s not be late now that you’re ready. I don’t want to miss out on the first item.”

\--

Arthur wasn’t sure he’d ever seen something so wealthy and elite as an auction house for the rich and famous. He was sure he was recognizing faces on all sides of him but was practiced enough in the action of not gawking that he mostly stood at Gilgamesh’s side and stared straight forward. He was surrounded on all sides by beautiful people in outfits that cost more than him or at least would have a year ago. He just prayed none of his previous clients were here, among the elite, when Gilgamesh suddenly passed him a masquerade mask.

“Put this on.”

“Huh?”

Gilgamesh was putting on his own, apparently handed one by the staff as they came in. “It’s a masked private auction. No one knowing who is outbidding who. There are such things as rivals in this world after all. It makes the whole thing a bit more… interesting.”

_‘What is the point if we only put on the masks when we came in?_’ Arthur thought. Surely everyone has had a glance of who’s who by now. Maybe that just raised the stakes enough to make it interesting. God knows he didn’t understand the wealthy types and why they would spend so much money on stuff like this.

“If you could bid on any one treasure, what would it be?” Gilgamesh asked him, suddenly.

“Oh…” Arthur paused for a moment, trying to think of an answer. “I guess I’d like a Bob Ross painting. One he made on the show. When I first moved to America, I’d watch reruns of his show to relax while studying, and—”

It just made Gil_ laugh_. “Honestly, Arthur! You might as well be asking for something that costs the pennies left behind in your wallet. Think bigger!”

Arthur rolled his eyes, grateful it couldn’t be seen beneath his mask. A single apple was probably worth ten dollars to Gilgamesh, and he wouldn’t even blink paying that much. They were so far apart that it was a wonder that this guy even spent time with him. Arthur was still keenly aware that he was playing the role of Gilgamesh’s current squeeze, and had to act like it, but was he so sure their relationship was just professional now? Gilgamesh was hard to read, but he was acting more and more like an actual boyfriend each day—with some considerable condescension added to the mix.

He remembered his talks with Artoria that night, regarding Gilgamesh, wondering if the man overheard them.

_‘He’s not so bad,’ Arthur said, quietly. ‘He said he resolved never to tell me so I wouldn’t relive that night again. And given everything I’ve gone through… I’m… grateful for that. And he might not be the kindest person in the world, but he’s one of the few people in America who was really interested in meeting the real me. You know, at the Love Hotel, everyone had a… a brand, something unique about them that they sold.’_

_Artoria was listening to every word, even as it made her tense. ‘What was yours?’_

_‘Well… I had my accent, and people considered me polite, so I acted like a prince. Someone who would steal one away into the night and treat them like royalty. At first, that’s how I acted with Gilgamesh on the clock—I obeyed his orders, I treated him like the rich, fancy guy he was, but he was so bored with it. Bored with the suit I wore, bored with my personality, he knew there was something else there, so he pried and pried for it until he got it.’_

_‘You’ve been lying to people for so long, Arthur… what happened?’ Artoria asked firmly._

_‘I… I guess I just got lost in it. I started believing things that weren’t necessarily true, because it was easier to live my life that way.’_

_‘And you… cheated on him. His contract, I mean.’_

_Arthur swallowed. ‘Yes, I did. With an author.’_

_‘Why?’_

_‘I’ve thought about that for the longest time. I was just weak, I didn’t say no when I should have.’ Arthur hung his head. ‘I felt too bad for him.’_

_‘Arthur,’ Artoria took his hand. ‘Your body isn’t something you give people out of pity. It’s not a commercial good you can hand out to people who want it. I don’t know what this job has done to you to make you feel that way, but you can’t act like that anymore. You can’t act like you’re a bartering chip to be given away when you feel sorry for someone.’_

Artoria told the truth, and even though Gilgamesh had said basically the same thing, it rang true with him more to hear it from his sister. He still didn’t understand why she hugged Gil either, perhaps she was just grateful someone saw the same things she did and decided Arthur wasn’t safe in that world. He didn’t know where he’d be if Gilgamesh hadn’t had that pressing need to reward him for saving him from being drugged. Probably still in the same hotel, still lying, still putting himself in danger. He wasn’t like the other people there, who were so practiced in the job and handled it so healthily that it wasn’t a detriment to them. People who had a reasonable barrier between what was for the job and what was for themselves…

As the two found their seats, Gil leaned over to Arthur, pointing out the various treasures that were on display. “That’s a cat mummy—interesting, but I don’t like dead things—those? Those are from the Dead Sea, circa 100 B.C., and that little trinket right there is what I have my eyes on tonight.”

“The jewels? I thought you said you didn’t like modern Jewelry.”

“I like history, Arthur. Those jewels belonged to the Romanovs. Since their deaths, they’re so rare because the revolution had basically covered up their disappearance. The only survivors were those smuggled out into Europe either before or after the Revolution. The only guide to their existence is a catalog made in 1925, of which there are only twenty left in the world. The fact that we even get to see a piece from that is a high privilege, and it’s one I hope to take home with me.”

It didn’t seem like much to Arthur—a beautiful brooch, for sure, but all it did was make him think of the rumor that the royal family’s jewels ricocheted bullets off them at the time of their execution. What a gruesome part of human history. Still, now he was beginning to understand Gilgamesh’s fascination with it. As he listened to Gil talk about more pieces on display, the more interested he became—Gilgamesh was a smart man, well researched and well-read. Only seeing him intimately for such a long time had led him to believe he was just a playboy, but here? He was seeing his depths.

More and more people were filing in to fill the seats, and soon, the sound of a gavel hushed everyone’s voices. The auctioneer thanked everyone for coming and wished them a good evening of fine dining and bidding. Men in smartly tailored suits were bringing by flutes of champagne, and as Arthur took one for him and Gilgamesh, Gilgamesh passed him a bidding paddle.

“Wh—” Arthur said, quietly. “I’m not bidding tonigh—”

“You’re rich, Arthur. Thanks to me, anyway. You might see something you like.”

The idea of spending a ridiculous amount of money at one of these things was nerve-wracking, but Arthur accepted it nonetheless. He supposed Gilgamesh was right, even if spending any bit of his estate felt nonsensical here. He had a lot to save for.

When the bidding began, Arthur watched as Gilgamesh surveyed the people around him like a hawk, barely turning his head but focusing on who around him were the big spenders and who he’d have to size up as a rival. This was serious business to him—someone who boasted these treasures belonged to him just because he had the wealth to obtain them… trying as he might to understand Gilgamesh, there was just another level to being that fabulously wealthy that Arthur didn’t understand.

Finally, the Romanov jewelry was up for bidding.

Someone raised their paddle before Gilgamesh even had the chance. Nonetheless, Gilgamesh watched as others tore at one another for the opportunity to bid, only tossing up his paddle when it was clear he needed to make a move. One man, in particular, seemed intent on outbidding Gilgamesh, and Gilgamesh didn’t seem bothered by it at all. In the end, he won the auction at a sum that made Arthur want to chew glass. The thought that he had carelessly thrown money at Arthur was now seeming average—he would spend just as much on anything else.

“I can’t believe you,” Arthur muttered underneath his breath, but Gilgamesh was riding the high of winning his first auction of the evening.

“You should try on one of the lower value items. Ten thousand dollars isn’t much to you now, is it?”

“Ten thousand dollars is a lot of money!”

“Fine. Then bid and I’ll pay for it, just for fun. This is for charity, after all.”

Arthur wanted so desperately to slump in his seat at that, but he had a proper nobility to maintain for the rest of the evening. It was when a painting went up by one of Artoria’s favorite artists that he was suddenly tempted.

_She’d kill me_, Arthur thought. But if Gilgamesh was offering to pay for it…? He raised his paddle between bids, and Gilgamesh watched him curiously. As the number climbed, Arthur’s heart sank, thinking he couldn’t continue to do this, before Gilgamesh snatched his wrist and made him raise his paddle yet again.

“Get aggressive, Arthur,” He flashed him a grin. “Come on.”

Arthur pressed on, until the number became too unfathomable to continue when Gilgamesh simply raised the paddle himself with a bid that would knock the socks off every other bidder. Arthur stared at him, slack-jawed when the auction ran out and it sold for an impressive 325,000 dollars.

“Oh my _god_,” Arthur whispered to Gilgamesh. “How could—”

“It’s going to look great in the living room,” was all Gilgamesh said to that.

As the auction wrapped itself up with Gilgamesh collecting quite a few treasures for himself, the two stood up to go view the items on display throughout the hallway. The masks weren’t necessary anymore, but Arthur found himself keeping his on just in case someone recognized him—he had clients in high places, after all. It wouldn’t do to be recognized as _that_.

As Gilgamesh took out his phone and snapped a picture of the Romanov jewels behind a glass case to post on his Instagram and brag about, a man came up from behind him and patted him heavily on the shoulder.

“I should’ve known you’d be the one outbidding me!”

“Ozymandias, half the reason I went for them was to show you who’s boss.”

Oh! One of Gilgamesh’s friends. Another one named after an ancient king… was this a trend back when Gilgamesh was born? Or was it just a nickname? Gilgamesh shook hands with him as Ozymandias stared down the jewels in the case, before laughing it off. “Should’ve known you’d go after the more historically important one. At least I got the Egyptian goods.”

“I know better than to go after a cat mummy. It must smell horrendous. Besides, there’s no outbidding you when it comes to that.”

“Who’s this?”

“Arthur Pendragon. My date for the evening.”

“This is my first time hearing of you…” Ozymandias extended a hand for Arthur to shake. “Nice to meet you.”

_So Gilgamesh doesn’t talk about me to his friends, either_, Arthur thought. Probably for the best. Behind the scenes, Gilgamesh was probably doing his best to erase any of Arthur’s attachments to his past so being seen with him in the future wouldn’t cause problems.

“The pleasure is mine,” Arthur smiled warmly. Before he could stop him, Ozymandias lifted Arthur’s mask and looked at who was hiding beneath it.

“No wonder you’re Gil’s date. I can already tell I’d be fighting with him over you if I weren’t married already—” He laughed haughtily. “Just kidding, it’s just that we’re fierce competitors—we’ve been doing it since before college, after all.”

“I still have a few more victories over you,” Gilgamesh goaded. Ozymandias looked chuffed.

“You wish you did! Last I checked, my tally was higher than yours.”

“You must be deluding yourself. With tonight’s victory, I’m miles above you.”

The two carried on with that for a little while longer, before Ozymandias turned his attention back to Arthur. “How did you two meet?”

“On the job,” Arthur said simply, and Ozymandias took it to mean ‘at his business practice’. Gilgamesh backed him up.

“He was quite impressive during our trial run, and I decided I had to have him for myself. He’s made quite a lot of money working under me. Quite the investment.”

All of this was the truth woven into sneaky not-lies, and Arthur couldn’t help but be impressed by his clever word choice. Ozymandias nodded. “It’s been a while since Ishtar, after all. I knew you’d be able to bounce back.”

“Trust me, being free of her has never felt better.”

“Gilgamesh…?”

A voice behind them spoke, and for once, Arthur saw Gilgamesh freeze. It was an older woman’s voice, but when Arthur looked at her, she barely looked a day over 35. She bore a striking resemblance to Gilgamesh himself—

Oh my god.

“Mother,” Gilgamesh greeted her cordially. Ozymandias crossed his arms and stood back as if to say ‘this should be good’. Arthur was internally worried about what kind of impression he was about to make on Gil’s mother, of all people, but hadn’t Gil said she wouldn’t approve of him already?

“So nice to see you attending events like this,” She crooned, looking like she was wearing a million dollars (and probably was). “I saw you went after the Romanov jewels. Good investment. They’ll be worth more in several year’s time.”

“I’d like them as more than just an investment, but thank you.”

There was something… stiff and cordial about the way Gilgamesh treated his mother, that had no loving family dynamic to it at all. As the two talked, Ozymandias elbowed Arthur from time to time, leaning in and whispering that Gil’s parents hadn’t gotten along with him ever since he blew it with Ishtar. It made Arthur curious… had they ever gotten along? If Gilgamesh only had a few friends, did he have no family to count on? He had so much from them, and yet…

Regardless, Gilgamesh exited the conversation as soon as he was able to. His mother sauntered off to look at her own winnings, and Gilgamesh took Arthur by the hand.

“Let’s go walk around town. They’re not going to bill us for a while, yet, and I need some fresh air.”

“Want me to come with?” Ozymandias asked, sensing Gil’s stress.

“Not this time, Ozy, but I’ll text you.”

He snuck a hand around Arthur’s waist and began to walk off with him, Arthur still feeling like something had gone wrong that he hadn’t properly seen.

\--

“I can’t believe her,” Gilgamesh huffed. “She figures out I’m going to the auction and decides to follow me there? I’m not a child.”

“You’re not…” Arthur agreed. “Was there something wrong with her being there?”

“She wasn’t there for me, Arthur. She was there for you. She’s heard about you.”

“She has?” Arthur suddenly felt nervous. “How much does she know?”

“She shouldn’t know more than what I’ve said about you to coworkers, but… she’ll look for any reason to disapprove of you.”

“Why?”

“Why, Arthur? Because I’m their only child after years of trying. They want grandkids. They want to have their legacy cemented to continue for years to come.”

“So… it’s because you chose a man.”

“That’s only half of it, but it’s still _half_,” Gilgamesh sounded annoyed, and Arthur couldn’t blame him. To not be able to choose who you wanted to be with—to the point of having an arranged marriage you had to ruin on your own, that sounded like a hell Arthur wanted no part of. “The world isn’t as forgiving as you might think. The higher up you are, the more the most appealing to the masses you have to appear.”

Arthur’s gaze fell. Was Gilgamesh using him as a point of rebellion? “Gil?”

“Hm?”

“What’s the other half?”

“I’m a decent pawn for them to make deals with. Ishtar’s family? They’re just as influential as mine, and she’s the favorite daughter. They thought if we united our families, that we’d stand to make an impact in the future. It’s just that Ishtar is a terrible person, mind you—and I don’t need my destiny written for me by people who think a profit is the bottom line. I’m just as sufficient on my own and just as capable of making a mark on history.”

“Would you…” Arthur began. “Would you get rid of me if it appeased your parents?”

…

“I can’t answer that yet,” Gilgamesh said, quietly. “I don’t know what they’ll do.”

That _hurt_. Arthur thought they’d been through a lot over the past five months, but it was still only five months. Still, he’d viewed Gil as more and more of a close friend over that period of time than he ever had before, and he couldn’t deny his feelings for him and his desire to do right by him. “I… see.”

“I will say this, though…” Gilgamesh spoke again, finally. “If you don’t give me a reason again to leave, I won’t.”

That was reassuring. That Gil wouldn’t just up and leave him if it suited him, even if it meant Arthur was free to fly home to Britain and live peacefully with his sister. Gil was an important part of his life now, he couldn’t imagine him vanishing, not when he had to make everything right with him.

“So…” Arthur began. “What can I do to make your parents like me?”

“Go back in time and be born as a woman, for one.”

“You know what I mean, Gil.”

“It’s just that, though. You come from nothing, and I’ve found my perspective growing thanks to you, but my family would prefer me to be a blind puppet, content with my wealth. I crave knowledge, Arthur. I want to see things that I was never meant to see. You come from a world that was almost rock bottom before I met you. You’ve been eye-opening, to say the least.”

“That’s… well, I suppose that’s flattering,” Arthur sounded doubtful.

“It wasn’t meant to be. It’s just the truth."

“Ozymandias was one of your friends… right?”

“Yes. I’ve known him since… before college, but not during high school, I think. We were at the same orientation.”

“What of your other friends?” Ishtar had mentioned someone named Enkidu, and Gilgamesh had mentioned them once in passing.

“I have two people in this—no, three—three people in this world I treasure more than anything. Ozymandias is close to being one of them, but we fight a little too much. First, there’s Siduri. She helped me through most of my classes and came from humble beginnings, like you. She’s now my secretary at my office, and I wouldn’t be able to stay afloat without her. Second, there’s Kingu, who can be a bit of an asshole, but they’re invaluable to me. And then there’s their sibling… Enkidu. My only real friend. I value them more than anything else in my entire life.”

Arthur listened intently, knowing he himself didn’t have many friends aside from ones he still kept in contact with from high school and college, and even then he had to keep them at arm’s length because of his job. “There’s only one girl who’s privy to my secret life. The one that introduced me to the job. I think she’s my only real friend in America.”

“What’s her name?” Gilgamesh asked, curious.

“Her real name, I think, is—nevermind, I have no business telling anyone that. Her work name is Passionlip. She’s helped me through everything, she even knocked out the guy who—”

Arthur stopped for a moment, lost in swimming thoughts of a trauma he tried to bury, one that could come up in conversation so easily but one he couldn’t stand thinking of. Every now and then, Gilgamesh noticed, he’d do this. He’d stare off into the distance for a moment, and his voice would stop working even though he was still murmuring something with his lips. “—she’s great.” Arthur shook his head. “She’s one of a kind.”

Gilgamesh could tell what he was thinking of. He’d seen that look on Arthur’s face before. Wisely, while they were out in public, he didn’t press it any further than he had to.

“Anyway,” Gilgamesh continued, knowing Arthur wanted an out and fast. “Enkidu is a kind, patient person who’s unafraid to tell me when I do something wrong, they can be twice as ruthless as me when it comes to certain things, but they can be more gentle with others than I could ever be. They know a lot about you. Some flattering, some not. They don’t know about your little transgression, though—they’d kill you for sure.”

Arthur laughed humorlessly, feeling a little grateful to Gil that he wouldn’t go that far.

“Tell me about this ‘Passionlip’.”

“Well, she’s very shy… popular with the customers who like that sort of thing, only it isn’t her act, it’s for real. She’s also one of the kindest people I know, really… very sweet, I should take her out to lunch sometime soon, honestly…”

The two continued walking into the night before it came time to turn back and pay for their winnings. Gilgamesh wrote a check for the both of them, and Arthur couldn’t help but be amazed, staring at the painting that Gilgamesh won for him. He’d originally meant it for Artoria, but Gil was right—it’d look amazing in their living room, and he already worried about an accident happening to it. It was so valuable! Then again, nearly everything in his apartment was a designer _something_. Gil strode back to the jewels, admiring them, leaning over to Arthur.

“I kind of want to make you wear it…”

“Don’t put something that fragile and beautiful on me, please.”

“Hmph, fine, I’ll find some other jewelry that suits you. Something more common, if you really insist on living up to your roots.”

“Common to you probably costs 2,000 dollars at least.”

“Oh, come on, Arthur. Give me more credit than that. Ten thousand at least. Or more, who knows...”

The two bantered into the evening, enjoying the quiet of the emptying hall, feeling a bit closer than before.


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> IT'S NOVEMBER SOMEWHERE!!
> 
> This fic is going to be updating constantly. Almost daily. I'm sorry, except for where I'm not!! I'm so excited to complete this fic for NaNoWriMo. We got 50k more words to go, so let's start!

Daylight seemed to stream into Gil’s office in just the right way that it didn’t glare into his eyes while still flooding the room with a soft glow. He was back at work, muttering under his breath as he signed forms and typed at his computer. Office work was boring, and he really didn’t have to do it, but he strived for self-sufficiency as much as humanly possible. Even if he was a corporate heir, he didn’t like the idea that if his parents suddenly cut him off for whatever reason, he’d be beholden to them to get back in their good favor. The situation had never occurred, of course, but he wasn’t about to let it happen, either. He was content spending his own money on whatever he wanted.

Siduri knocked at the door.

“Come in,” Gil said a bit breathlessly, scooting his chair forward so that his abdomen met the desk. He focused on his computer as she entered the room, performing simple data entry that could’ve been handed to any person working beneath him, but sometimes Gil only trusted his own work.

“Gil…? I have the stock reports from last March.”

“Leave them on the desk, I’ll go over them.”

“I also have some messages from our business partners in Japan and South Korea…”

“Forward them to my email and I’ll go over and respond to them. If you’re coming to me with them, it must mean you want me to oversee them myself, right?”

“It seems like the kind of thing you wouldn’t want to ignore. Oh, and one more thing—”

“Yes…?”

Siduri stood hesitantly, looking at him as if she was kind of suspicious, then looked away with her hand to her lips. “There’s a charity ball coming up that’s funded by one of our rival companies. It might be good to show up and show them up.”

“Why? So they can pocket my donation?”

“The donations will be handled by the third-party charity. They’re a group you’ve donated to before. I just figured, stealing some press from them might not be such a bad idea.”

“Duly noted. I’ll take my date along with me.”

“That’ll be all, then.”

“Siduri?” Gilgamesh looked up at her with a fond smile. “Take the rest of the day off. I’ll handle your calls from here.”

They were close friends, after all, and Gil didn’t give her days off just randomly. She sighed, gave a nod, and politely averted her eyes. Her smart-looking heels made echoing taps across the office floor before the door closed behind her, and Arthur took the biggest gasp of a lifetime.

“She totally knew. She saw me come in and must’ve seen I wasn’t anywhere else in the room.” Arthur sputtered, embarrassed.

Gilgamesh guffawed as he looked at Arthur, beneath his desk, having just half choked himself to death in order not to make a single noise. “Don’t worry. She knows that I’m up to these antics, more or less. I always try not to involve her, but I wasn’t expecting her to come in without buzzing me…”

“Is that why you gave her the day off?” Arthur asked, stroking him so that he’d stay stiff in his hands.

“As an apology, yes. I don’t get off on involving others in my sex life. That’s why I had to keep you so quiet.”

“We don’t all enjoy being choked as you do,” Arthur quipped back.

“You can learn to love it.” Gilgamesh leaned back in his chair, looking at Arthur curiously. “The oxygen deprivation can heighten other senses. Why don’t you get back to it?”

Arthur gave him a flat look but wouldn’t disobey his orders. Gently spreading his legs further apart, he ran his hands up Gilgamesh’s thigh until they met the base of his cock, holding him aloft as a sort of barrier between his saliva and those pants that were sure to cost a fortune. Gil had tasked him with not making a mess (why did he want a blowjob, then? They were _messy_, after all) so he kept his focus on the head of his cock instead of continuing to go down on his full length. Arthur’s technique was well-practiced, focusing on the cluster of nerves beneath the head as his hand helped tug down the skin to give himself room. Gilgamesh seemed to forget his own orders, tugging on the cowlicked crop of hair atop Arthur’s head to urge him downward.

If you want to have to clean up, then you’ll get to, Arthur thought to himself as his head dipped down his length once, then twice, then an uncountable amount of times as he only focused on building a rhythm and lavishing his tongue on his dick. Gil leaned back in his chair, spreading his legs so that Arthur had more room, toes practically curling within his fine shoes. God, he was talented. To think this talent was squandered on lesser people…

“Mmm… where’d you learn how to get this good…?”

“Practice makes perfect,” Grateful for every bit of air he could get, Arthur took very short breaks to answer him before going back down on him. Gilgamesh languidly stretched out his body and arched his back, completely relaxed as Arthur sent jolts of pleasure up his spine. He was in no rush to come, and Arthur knew he wasn’t hurried either. He’d prolong this and make it last… the good way to do it when you weren’t in a hurry.

Truly, all Arthur had to do was close his eyes and remember the last time Gil had treated him so affectionately, going down on him after walking in on touching himself—god, for all that Gil talked him up, Gil could be so … good… too. It spurred him on to take him in more deeply than before, letting him rest in his throat before pulling off of him. Maybe Gil could become a star pupil in this respect, learning from Arthur and then applying that in practice.

Gilgamesh hardly had to announce himself before he came, his legs locked around Arthur’s shoulders as he pulled him in, forcing him to swallow around his dick as he did so. Arthur complied mostly because he had no choice, trying to pull off of Gil was an exercise in futility. He’d be held in place until the rode out his pleasure and that was the end of it.

Finally, Gil let him pull off and Arthur made sure his spit hit palm instead of the floor. Arthur glared up at him with some scrutiny but regained his composure. Gilgamesh zipped up his pants, considering Arthur and how his skills truly made him a professional—he offered his hand to Arthur to help him stand up, and he did.

“Are there any security cameras in your office…?” He asked, somewhat concerned.

“I disabled them for now.” Gil was feeling considerably more relaxed as he looked over the papers Siduri had left on his desk. Arthur found his way to one of Gil’s sofas and relaxed on it, kicking up his feet and messing with his phone after stealing a water from his mini-fridge to soothe his throat. He’d usually be a little more polite, leaving his feet planted firmly on the ground, but Arthur had grown used to being around Gil so much that he no longer really cared—and after choking him out like that, he deserved a little comfort.

“You know, it’s ironic you still make me swallow.”

“Just because I like it being done to me doesn’t mean I like _doing_ it.”

“The epitome of unselfishness in bed,” Arthur responded idly.

“Come on, Arthur. I always make sure you get off, don’t I?”

“You’ll have your work cut out for you when we get home, then.”

It was a little while before Gilgamesh was finished, Arthur half-listening to his phone call and noting that Gil spoke fluent Japanese. He figured he must’ve picked up the language in dealing with his company overseas. Gil seemed like the kind of person who wasn’t patient enough for a translator anyway, and he could afford expert lessons, so why not? Eventually, he put on his jacket and the two-headed outside, Arthur quickly checking them over for any residual mess before continuing on.

Making it back to the apartment was always strange. For one, there was an expensive painting now hanging up on the wall, one that Gil had bought for Arthur with his own money. Arthur viewed it with the reverence one would have for a museum exhibit, feeling slightly uncomfortable now whenever he was on the couch next to it, as if his mug of coffee could somehow fly out of his hands and splatter it, ruining it forever. Still, he had to admire it… his sister had great taste in painters, and if she ever came over to crash here, she’d absolutely lose her mind.

As Cavall II rushed over to greet them, Arthur reflected on how big the puppy had grown over the past half of a year, not nearly at its full size yet but getting closer. He’d be six months old in just a month, and Arthur was very quickly becoming the kind of person who flooded their Instagram with pictures of their dog. Even Gil was warming up to him and would tolerate Cavall resting his chin on his leg when watching TV. Arthur knelt in the living room and roughhoused with the pup for a bit while Gil stood off to the side, answering a phone call.

“Listen, I can’t—I can’t drop everything to…”

It sounded heated.

“You know I can’t.”

Arthur paused, listening to the erratic voice on the other end, unable to make them out.

“Well, he should’ve thought about that before working himself to death. I’m going. I’ll see him on the weekend.”

Gilgamesh hung up the phone, and Arthur turned to him.

“Who was it?”

“No one. Don’t concern yourself with it.”

Arthur could tell he wanted to talk about it but wasn’t sure if it was the right thing to bring up with Arthur. Usually, Arthur would get earfuls about whoever Gilgamesh was working with, about who was stressing him out, but one thing he never divulged anything about was family. That was what he had to be talking about on the phone, right?

Arthur felt the strong need to cheer him up. To do something… anything to get the stress off his shoulders. He said he’d make things up to Gil, and he meant it, but so far, Gil had only wanted from him what he always asked for—his time and his body. The distinct feeling that he hadn’t built any trust with him was always nagging at the back of his mind.

“Gil…” Arthur began. “Have you ever seen the stars?”

“What? What kind of question is that, of course, I—”

“I mean, you’ve lived in the city your entire life and you rarely take a break. Have you ever gone stargazing?”

“Why the hell would I have time for that? I… guess I never considered it, and I rarely vacation where there’s none, but what are you getting at, Arthur?”

“Let’s go out to Adirondack Park. It’s a place up north where they specifically avoid any light pollution. I think it’d be nice to give you a break,” Arthur paused. “One that doesn’t necessarily have to involve my mouth.”

“You mean like camping?”

“No,” Arthur shook his head, idly rubbing Cavall’s belly. “Just a drive. We don’t have to stay all night.”

Gilgamesh considered it. Arthur was suggesting something like a date, and he wasn’t ignorant of that fact. It was obvious he was trying to make up for his past misdeeds by suggesting it, but Gilgamesh wasn’t resistant to the idea—no, he agreed with it. He could probably use a break away from screens and his phone and everything that involved work. Arthur was a great stress toy, but he could only do so much.

“Sure. Tonight?”

“Yeah,” Arthur sounded relieved he agreed. “I’ll drive.”

\--

The drive up to Adirondack Park was a long one, with Gilgamesh artfully avoiding any discussion of what he was talking about on the phone, opting to talk about his school days with Siduri and the twins, Enkidu and Kingu. They were the only people aside from Ozymandias that Gilgamesh considered friends, with Enkidu as the frontrunner for best friend. Arthur wondered why it had taken him so long to meet Enkidu, but Gilgamesh seemed like the type to keep his romantic life separate from the rest of his life. It just went to show that whatever he felt about Arthur, it wasn’t serious enough yet to involve other people. Fair… fair enough. Arthur earned that, he supposed.

It was a long hike up to the spot Arthur remembered having a great view- he’d been out here on college trips before and the night was just beginning to fall. They were on the cusp of the summer months, so as the days grew longer, so did the time it took for the stars to start showing.

Gilgamesh must have lied when he said he’d seen stars before, or maybe he’d only seen them in bed because the look on his face when the sky became flush with sparkling lights was nothing short of picture-worthy. How Arthur _wished_ he had a camera.

“You like it?”

“It’s… decent.” He’d never seen the moon look so big or the sky look so vast, but on the edge of this cliffside, everything seemed bigger and vaster than before. He’d spent so much time putting pen to paper that he never bothered to look up. Arthur smiled slightly, knowing that it took a lot to leave Gil speechless. Taking out his phone, he booted up the Night Sky app to find constellations—as much as he wanted to impress Gil, he knew he’d be awful at picking them out himself when the sky looked this full.

“There. That’s Virgo.”

“There?”

“Yeah.”

“Virgo…” Gilgamesh began. “If I recall correctly, that’s associated with the Greek goddess, Dike. She was around during the ‘golden age’ of Ancient Greece, the fabled time before Zeus overthrew his father where everything was bountiful. When Zeus introduced the four seasons, humans forgot to worship the gods and she warned them of the dangers of forgetting their ways. She fled to a mountain and when humans started to war, she finally left for the heavens.”

“Convenient that she left as soon as history started to record them,” Arthur said quietly, trying to find another constellation.

“No such thing as gods. They needed to have an excuse.”

“You have to wonder how they came up with these legends, then built their society around them.”

Gilgamesh gave a rare smile. “History favors the inventive, and humankind needed rules to govern themselves. Put two and two together, and you have a full-blown religion.”

“Mm… oh! There’s Corvus.”

“Apollo’s sacred bird.”

“You know a lot about this, don’t you?”

“I took as many studies on ancient history as I could alongside my business classes. It’s fascinating to me.” Gilgamesh paused. “What did you study? What was so important for you to learn that you nearly bankrupted yourself?”

“I… wanted to become a historian too.”

“Really?” Gilgamesh seemed more amused than anything. From historian to escort? “Go on, then. Tell me about some constellations in the night sky. I want to test you.”

“I was actually studying European history closer to home, but I suppose I took enough classes on the Greeks to… hm. I think that’s Coma Berenices.”

“Tell me about it.”

“Queen Berenice II was a queen in Ancient Egypt. When her husband went off to the… third? Syrian war, she promised the gods that she’d cut off her hair to guarantee his safe return. When he did, she kept her promise and cut it all off and placed it in Aphrodite’s temple. Her husband was mad that it disappeared the next day, but Aphrodite was so pleased with her sacrifice that she placed it among the stars.”

“Not bad, not bad…”

The two went on together into the night, testing each other’s knowledge of the history behind these stars. Arthur was quick on his feet, knowing that this was a chance to impress Gilgamesh that he couldn’t just pass up, and Gilgamesh was entertained, having someone on his level who he could keep up with. So he went to that prestigious school and emerged this sharp, did he? Gil supposed he underestimated him, and said as much.

“I guess I never thought to tell you about it… college seems so far away now.”

“Well, you’ve impressed me for the night. We’ll have to do this again soon.”

The quiet was comfortable, the mood felt right, and Arthur leaned forward towards Gil, thinking he could steal a kiss from him. Why? He wished he knew. They were just so physically close by now that it felt strange that they hadn’t kissed in a while, and for a moment, he thought Gilgamesh was going to reciprocate when his phone rang.

“Hold on—” Gil said, Arthur surprised he even had cell service out here. “I have to take this.”

Arthur cursed the missed moment, listening to Gilgamesh talk to someone aggressively on his phone, but the subject matter seemed… personal. A lot of ‘he said’ and ‘he would’ instead of ‘I’ll schedule a flight’ or ‘Have those documents on my desk tomorrow’. Arthur couldn’t help but wonder if this was a continuation of his earlier call.

Gilgamesh hung up his phone. “… we need to leave. It’s one in the morning, after all.”

“Will you stay at my place tonight?”

“No.”

So that’s that. The mood was more than gone, and Arthur would have to rebuild it again some other time. More than that, though Arthur was worried. The look on Gil’s face, even in the dark, said it all. Something was weighing on his mind, and maybe if he hadn’t broken his trust, Arthur would know about it by now.

Still, Arthur was content to drive him home in silence, without bothering him for more information. He’d find out sooner or later, he was sure.


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> two updates in one day? i'm an absolute madlad.

It turned out, Gilgamesh didn’t need to tell him at all. The news said everything.

“Local Billionaire announces he’s going under treatment for aggressive disease” was in all the headlines. He recognized Gil’s father’s name right away. There was already talk of him dying, and people were speculating where the fortune would go—his wife or his son. People were vultures, Arthur thought as he skimmed the article. No wonder Gil hadn’t been by since their stargazing trip. There was simply no getting around that family affairs took precedence over having flings with your hired escort. Still, this made him feel like there was a distance between him and Gil, one he couldn’t breach because this affair was so personal… but he wanted to help.

Artoria was the first person he called. She told him just to stick by him in case things got really bad, which was helpful but… not, at the same time. Gil was a private person, and Arthur hadn’t exactly proven himself as trustworthy. When Gil finally arrived at his apartment out of the blue, Arthur was ready to talk to him about whatever he needed to get off his chest.

Gil, though, didn’t want anything to do with that. He just sat on the sofa, hand to his forehead as if trying to fight off a migraine. Even Cavall II seemed to keep his distance. Arthur approached him tentatively, wondering if there was anything he could say to help, trying to summon the prince and figure out the right thing that would put him at ease.

“I’m so sorry,” He blurted out.

“You saw the news?” Gilgamesh looked tired. It must have been taking a serious toll on him, to take on his father’s work and do his own at the same time. He patted the spot next to him on the sofa, and as soon as Arthur sat down, Gilgamesh leaned against him, using him for physical comfort. “They say he has six months at best, but money can buy a lot of time.”

“I… can imagine,” Arthur said quietly. “I know it’s not easy. I can speak from experience.”

“My old man isn’t someone I get along with, don’t get me wrong, but I’m not exactly thrilled to know he’s dying. He always seemed immortal, growing up. Not that I saw much of him, to begin with…”

Arthur just stayed quiet and listened to Gilgamesh talk about his father. Every time he got a little too close to divulging too much, he drew back and went on a separate tangent. Arthur learned that Gilgamesh had expectations on him, growing up. That he was to be a modern prince to a king of business, that he needed the skills and knowhow to run a corporation when he was gone. It was pure nepotism, but Gilgamesh was thankful for what he learned. He just didn’t think it would be this soon that he had to take it over.

“What was it like? Growing up with him.”

“It was like… he was a God.”

“What do you mean?”

“I was their only child. He made sure I fell in line with everything he ever ordered me to do. I wasn’t opposed to him at first, but sooner and sooner, I started rejecting him. I took those ancient history classes in order to spite him. I rebelled hard, but once I realized I could use the tools he gave me to be more than him, more successful and more powerful, I started listening again. I wanted every leg up to be strong in this world.”

Arthur listened with intent. Gilgamesh was charismatic, he had a way of drawing people in despite how he could behave at times. Listening to him talk about how he wanted control in the world because it was moving at a self-destructive pace and how he could fix it engaged Arthur. He always dreamed of having an influence on the planet, but Gilgamesh was in the proper seat to do so.

“I don’t like humanity as individuals,” Gilgamesh spoke. “And usually, I’d sit on my would-be ‘throne’ above it all and observe as people tear themselves apart and rebuild, but every now and then, someone surprises me. Like you. You’re a flawed person, Arthur. You’re capable of the worst things, but you’re also capable of self-sacrificing goodness for a stranger’s sake. You are infinitely interesting, even at my expense and for some reason, you inspire me.”

Arthur wasn’t sure what to say. They were honest words, not meant to flatter, and he nearly thanked him for that, but he wasn’t sure about Gil’s intent behind them. Was he confessing an interest in Arthur that went beyond their arrangement? How would he even feel about that? Arthur was indebted to him in all ways, but had he considered a relationship? No, no he shouldn’t presume. Gilgamesh would say it if that was what he wanted.

“I’m glad to inspire you. If I were in your shoes, I’d give everything I had to help the world.”

“You would,” Gilgamesh scoffed. “It gets a little more complicated than donating all of your money to every worthy charity and living humbly.”

“Am I a worthy charity?” Arthur nudged him.

“You’ve certainly proven yourself worth my time, that much is certain.”

Arthur wasn’t sure how to take that compliment either. It didn’t feel like he was worth Gilgamesh’s time. He was an incredible man, burdened with so much responsibility, and all Arthur could do was help him relax physically. Resolve burned in his chest, he needed to do _more_. He needed to matter to Gil in a way that was more than just ‘interesting’, and he needed to remember his words—‘you are capable of the worst things’. Arthur had certainly proven that much, and he needed to learn from them.

“Anyway—” Gilgamesh began, resting his head on Arthur’s shoulder. “I have a dinner date tonight with Enkidu and Kingu. I think I’ll bring you along.”

\--! Finally, a closer look inside Gil’s world! “Are you sure? Do you think they’ll like me?”

“I couldn’t tell you that any more than you could, but they’re both perceptive. Bring the prince, and they’ll see right through it. Just be yourself.”

If only it were that easy! Arthur wanted to impress the people closest to Gilgamesh, even if he wasn’t sure why he wanted to do so. Realistically, all he had to do was serve his sentence for the rest of the year. He had no obligation to get to know his friends, but… it was almost as if when Arthur vowed that he’d take the time to help Gilgamesh trust him again, it unlocked _feelings_. Feelings Arthur didn’t want to admit to, feelings that were inconvenient, unwarranted, unnecessary. Arthur wouldn’t dare speak the L word to himself, but he had to acknowledge they had a _bond_ that superseded regular friendship or a working relationship.

He’d get dressed, get ready, and he’d ride with Gilgamesh to the fancy downtown Italian restaurant that they’d agreed to meet at.

Just got to impress them.

Right.

\--

They knew right away.

Gilgamesh must have told them because Arthur knew just by the way Kingu (he presumed it was Kingu, the twins were identical down to the hair) looked at him, they were thinking ‘ah, the famed hooker’. Arthur offered smiles and handshakes, which the two twins took with grace, although one had a more scrutinous look on their face. This was Arthur’s test, to see if he could really fly with Gilgamesh’s friends. He had to make it work.

“Any word on your father?” Enkidu was busying themself pouring a bit of olive oil to dip the fresh bread brought to their table in.

“He’s considering going overseas for treatment, which, by all means, go ahead,” Gilgamesh didn’t pause to introduce Arthur or gave him any ceremony whatsoever, stealing a piece of bread for himself. “But the prognosis is grim. I don’t think he’ll last the year.”

“And yet he’s still working,” Enkidu mused. Kingu was sat opposite of Arthur and was still sizing him up.

“Nothing could stop that man and you know it.”

“Have you seen him face to face?”

“Once…” Gilgamesh briefly took a second to order his wine, then continued on. “He practically needed an IV drip by his desk, that’s how worn out he looked. He talked about the usual.”

“Sizing you up for the big job?”

“You know,” Gilgamesh lowered his voice, although the noise in the restaurant was sure to cover it anyway. “I think he’s scared.”

“Anyone would be.”

“He has the money for a heart transplant, if only it were that easy. It’s spread throughout his entire body, and it’s in his blood. Can’t do much about that. They’re going to do research on him, though. See if billions of dollars can’t find him a cure.”

Enkidu nodded, before turning their attention to Arthur. “What do you think, Arthur?”

“Oh—hm? About what?”

Enkidu gave a soft laugh. “Do you think he’ll be cured?”

Arthur looked at them for a moment. “I think it’s hard to cheat death when it’s that serious.”

“I agree. It seems our dear friend is going to inherit the entire company very soon.”

He couldn’t imagine the burden that was on Gil’s shoulders right now. No doubt, it stressed him to even talk about it, though the fact that his closest friends were speaking so frankly about it must have given him some relief. Arthur paused, drew inspiration from the times he was hired as a host, and tried deftly to change the subject. Soon, they were talking about constellations and ancient history, and Arthur was delighted to know they were both well versed in the same things. It felt like he had a handle on the conversation.

“So when did Gilgamesh hire you?” Enkidu asked, suddenly.

Oof. There it was. “In… January. Maybe late December? That was when I first started seeing him.”

“You know, it’s unusual for him to take a partner this way,” Kingu had no qualms rocking the boat, folding their hands and resting their chin on them, at least until Enkidu nudged them for table manners. “What makes you so special?”

“I—”

“He saved me.”

Both Enkidu and Kingu looked surprised. At least Gil never told them about that.

“Do you know Knox, one of my father’s business partners?”

“Yes, you ruined his life. He’s bankrupt and blacklisted now.”

“He tried to drug me.”

As Gilgamesh told the story, Arthur felt his face burn with embarrassment, Enkidu and Kingu stealing glances at him whenever Gilgamesh brought up the fact that oh, he drugged himself to protect me and I had to drag him back to his apartment, then I hired him for his quote-unquote “services” as thanks. Why hadn’t he just thrown the drink away? So stupid… but Enkidu now took an interest in Arthur that was beyond the subtle conversation.

“Why did you do it, Arthur?”

“I—I just didn’t want anyone to get hurt while I was there, and I didn’t want to cause a scene.”

“It was extremely stupid of you.”

“I know.”

“I’m grateful that you did it, though. Sometimes being stupid can lead to new opportunities, like the one you have now. That, and you protected my best friend.”

“I don’t… deserve any praise, really. Anyone should put a stop to it if they see it.” Arthur remembered that Gilgamesh didn’t tell them about his breaking of the contract because these two would kill him if he did. It felt like he was putting on a false show for them, taking credit for something an Arthur he didn’t remember did.

“Hmm…” Enkidu certainly noticed something about Arthur, something that betrayed his guilt, but they didn’t bring it up. As long as Gilgamesh was content, it was between them.

As the night carried on, the subject drifted away from those topics for more comfortable ones, and Gilgamesh and Arthur parted ways from the twins for the evening. Arthur subconsciously took hold of Gilgamesh’s wrist as soon as they got back to his apartment, speaking before he could stop himself.

“Wait.”

“What is it?”

“Can you stay? Just… one night?”

“You know, it’s my role to call upon you, not the other way around.”

“I know,” Arthur was steadfast in his resolve. “but it feels like you really need this.”

Gilgamesh looked at him for a moment, before sighing. Arthur had him pinned down for certain. He’d been pent up and stressed for the longest time, and even if Arthur hadn’t brought it up, he certainly would have called upon him sooner or later. He let the other man lead the way up to his apartment, and as soon as they entered the door, Arthur was upon him. Unusual, when Gilgamesh was the one pursuing most of the time, but not unwelcome. He backed him against the door and kissed him, Gilgamesh relaxing into it gradually.

The scuttling footsteps of Cavall II headed into the living room, presumably because their actions had become so commonplace that the puppy knew when to give them privacy (or, more realistically, didn’t like the loud noise that would accompany it). Arthur worked Gilgamesh’s jacket off his shoulders as Gilgamesh undid Arthur’s buttons, and as they worked in tandem, Arthur noticed Gil getting rougher. Pulling the shirt off of him with no ceremony, he pushed him onto the bed and straddled his hips.

“Stressed, huh?” Arthur could tell from a mile away.

“Shut up.” It was said with no bite as Gil propped himself up over Arthur and dipped in for another kiss. Arthur’s hands wandered and caressed him, giving his ass a firm squeeze and earning a groan from him for his efforts. They tumbled around in bed for a while, unrestrained as they made out, hands wandering and stroking and slipping in-between fabrics as Arthur vaguely recalled feeling like a teenager, this surge of hormones and affection he thought he’d outgrown coming rushing back. This was without precedent; they usually got down to business pretty quickly, but Gilgamesh was working out his stress on Arthur’s body and Arthur was so caught up in it that he barely registered that this was an outpouring of pent-up feelings.

A trail of saliva linked their lips as they pulled apart, Gil looking flush against the bed as Arthur took in the sight of him—he really was beautiful. He’d been thinking about it all day, how charismatic Gil was, how pretty he was, how smart he was, all like a middle schooler trying to figure out the best way to word their crush, and then it suddenly hit him. It hit him like concrete blocks falling off scaffolding in a freak accident.

He might love this man.

It was a wonderful, nauseating feeling as Arthur realized he squandered his opportunity to be loved back when he broke their contract, that Gilgamesh was miles away from him in his lavish lifestyle, about to be even further as the head of his company when his father passed, that he couldn’t possibly feel this way back. Sure, he felt indebted to Arthur and liked him enough to give him a second chance, but… definitely… there was no chance for them. Gil hired him for a job, that he was fulfilling now. This was definitely the worst person to catch feelings for, aside from Lancelot.

Arthur tried to bury those feelings with his actions, but they only fueled the flame within him more. Gilgamesh was keening for his attention as Arthur’s touches became more passionate, as he had to bite his lip to keep himself from saying anything he might regret. Maybe if he spoke with his body, he’d never have to open his mouth and admit it. The rejection would be too powerful for words to contain. ‘You’re fun, Arthur, and I’m grateful for you, but I just can’t. You ruined this before it could start.’ Yeah, something like that. Something smart and painful in all of the right ways as Arthur learned his place.

But he could still touch him. He could still see the light in his red eyes as Gilgamesh looked at him with hunger. Sometimes, all you could do was settle for what you were given. As Gil prepared himself for sex, Arthur just stared up at him, resting his hand on his inner thigh and taking him in. He was so marvelously lucky to be here, to think he resented him in the beginning…! When Gilgamesh had nothing but respect for him, even if he treated him standoffishly and bitterly to hide that fact. How rare it was to have that respect. How rare it was to _still_ have it. Gil could never guess what was going through his mind right now, as Arthur stared up at him with admiration and a pang of deep guilt that he would have to hide from him.

“You look awestruck, Pendragon.”

“You’re beautiful.”

Gilgamesh stopped at that, withdrawing his hand as he straddled Arthur’s hips, ready to take him in. “Something gotten into you?”

“No—I—You just look great tonight.” Think sexy thoughts, Arthur, say something to keep the mood going. “You know, you can have the top if you want—”

“And waste all my effort just now?” Gilgamesh lifted his hips and guided Arthur into him, so familiar and such a good fit. As he waited for his body to adjust to him, he grinned his way. “I hired you to do all of the work, you know, but I’ll take you up on your offer next time. I like leaving my mark on you…”

_Please do_, Arthur begged in his mind. _Leave your mark on me_. “By all means.”

As Gilgamesh began to raise and lower his hips, planting both hands on Arthur’s chest and shamelessly feeling him up as he rode him, each rocking motion of his hips feeling so good, so right, that Arthur might not be able to live without it come December. He thrust upward, feeling his hips practically move on their own as Gilgamesh tired himself out waiting for him to come, determined to get off and get him off until Arthur flipped their positions and pulled one leg over his shoulder as he desperately thrust into him.

“Arthur, what the hell is this?!” Gilgamesh practically shouted in pleasure, alerting all their neighbors and then some. “What’s gotten into you?”

Each snap of his hips and thrust of his thighs were meaningful and forceful. Gilgamesh came once, encouraging Arthur to keep going, to keep up whatever had possessed him to be so rough yet so needy. No matter how quick the pace, Arthur couldn’t seem to get off. He was so lost in the moment that he just wanted to make it last. It wasn’t until Gil came a second time that Arthur realized he was taking too long—leaving his partner an overstimulated mess and himself lost in a daydream.

He pulled out and stroked himself to fruition, letting his cum mix with Gil’s across his torso. Gilgamesh was breathing hard, his legs shaking in Arthur’s grasp as he tried to regain his composure.

“Whatever inspired you tonight—” Gil said between breaths. “—Keep it in your mind, because that was _incredible_… wait. Arthur?”

…

“Are you crying?”

\--

Arthur had passed it off as his eyes getting watery from the overstimulation, that it happened sometimes and Gil believed it. Once they cleaned up, Gil slid between the comfortable sheets of their bed and rolled on his side to sleep, the light of his phone occasionally illuminating the darkness of the room. Arthur laid on his back, staring at the ceiling.

He had six months left to play pretend, to work out these feelings and stop them from growing any further. He had six months where he could love him in secret and it being totally fine.

He kept Artoria’s words in his mind and finally drifted off to sleep, burying his troubling thoughts in his dreams.

When he woke up the next day, Cavall II was snuggled underneath Gilgamesh’s arm beside him. Arthur sat up and grabbed his phone, quickly snapping a picture. Against his better judgment, he immediately went to the wallpaper settings and selected it.

Arthur lowered his hand and looked at the two of them, dog and fake boyfriend, wondering what the hell he was going to do when his time was up.


	20. Chapter 20

Arthur received a strange text just a few mornings later. He didn’t know how she got his number, but that was the least of the mysteries that needed solving.

It was Gil’s _mother_.

-“Greetings, Mr. Pendragon.”

So formal.

-“I know you’re my son’s boyfriend, and I know you must have heard the news about my husband. As busy as things are right now, I wanted to ask a personal request. Would you meet me in person somewhere in the city? I’ll leave where to your discretion. I’d like to talk to you about my son and my current predicament. It would be better if you didn’t tell him before we met. You saw how he reacted at the auction. I promise this is worth your time.

Looking forward to hearing from you,

Ninsun.”

He wasn’t sure about not telling Gilgamesh. It seemed like whatever this was, it was fairly important if his mother would deign to contact him without letting her son know. Deciding it was worth the risk of possibly angering Gil, he accepted her invitation and picked a discreet café downtown for them. To his surprise, she texted back almost immediately, asking to meet him in an hour. Okay, definitely serious. Was she going to tell him to stop dating Gilgamesh? Whatever she asked, Arthur only answered to one person in that family. He wouldn’t do anything without consulting him.

… aside from this.

And aside from—oh hell, a lot of things.

\--

Arthur dressed nicely, seated towards the front of the café so that he’d be immediately recognizable. He was nervous, understandably so, but she’d seemed kind when they last met, even if Gilgamesh insisted she was only there to scope Arthur out. He recognized her immediately and gave a small wave for her to come over. Wearing designer sunglasses and an immediately stunning outfit, she made her way over to his table. Ordering tea and a small cake, she took off those sunglasses and Arthur immediately recognized her eyes. She must have given them to Gil.

“So I’m sure you’re wondering where I got your number from—”

“It’s actually the least of my concerns,” Arthur shook her hand before getting comfortable in his seat, taking a sip of his coffee. “I’m more worried about why you called me here with so much secrecy.”

“It’s about my husband.”

Arthur’s expression softened. “My sympathies for your situation. I lost my father young as well, so I can imagine what you and your son are going through.”

“It’s dire. My husband isn’t exactly accepting of his mortality. He figures if he works as he does every day, he’ll work the disease out of himself, like ignoring it makes the problem disappear.” She brushed her golden hair behind her ear, perfectly coiffed. “I’m still wrestling with accepting it. But here’s my concern.”

Arthur leaned in, listening intently.

“My husband has always wanted to see Gilgamesh settled before his time ran out. He wanted his legacy secured.”

So she was asking him to break up with Gilgamesh so he could hook up with some girl, right? She continued, in spite of Arthur’s guess.

“I think he’s accepted no grandchildren, though. He spoke to me about you, how Gilgamesh drags you up to his office and—you do whatever you do in there. How he’s stopped staying home and basically lives at your apartment now.”

Arthur’s ears burned. She certainly had her sources.

“I think he’d be content… knowing my son had found someone he could live the rest of his life with. Are you two serious?”

Okay, he couldn’t tell her that he was her son’s hired escort. That would be verbal suicide. But… serious? Yes, they were serious in some ways, but still very much client and sex worker.

“I… you’d have to ask him, but I’d say from my perspective, we’re in a very serious and committed relationship.”

It was a serious relationship to Arthur, no matter how fake it was. And judging just from how Gilgamesh spoke to him, about him, he considered it one too. Ninsun seemed to breathe a sigh of relief at that. As the server set her tea and cake down, she continued on.

“Okay, that’s good. Can I ask how you two met?”

Something about this woman… Arthur didn’t want to lie to her. He didn’t want to set up his relationship with Gil’s parents based on falsehoods. It seemed like a recipe for self-destruction and had proven so time and time again.

“I… was an entertainer at a club he and a coworker visited. Knox? Anyway, Knox drugged Gilgamesh’s drink and I switched it with mine. He’s said he’s been grateful ever since, and our relationship just… happened from there.” Carefully omitting he was a sex worker seemed like the best bet.

She’d let out a little gasp at his brief story. “So that’s why Gilgamesh ruined him… here I thought it was out of competition. He was a close associate, always visited the family, was very important to my husband. Gil had him fired, sued him for extortion, and has basically bankrupted him in legal fees… now I see why.” She leaned across the table to take Arthur’s hands in hers. “Thank you. If you weren’t there… I don’t know what would have happened to him. Getting rid of Gilgamesh would’ve put him closer to taking his job, and—” Another short gasp. “What if he planned on killing him? Oh my god…”

Arthur listened to her speculation, hoping that wasn’t the case, but there was never a good reason to drug someone. Even taking blackmail photographs would’ve been bad. “Anyway… you were saying? Before you asked how we met.”

“Oh, right. Well, I was going to ask you a favor. I know my son isn’t the easiest person to get along with. I was wondering if… for his father’s sake if you would keep up the relationship with him until he—passes.” He could tell from the brief pause in her voice that just saying that brought her a lot of pain. “He just wants to see our son settled. If he sees that you’re in a serious relationship with him, he’ll accept that he’ll be taken care of. He’s got a soft heart, deep down… if you can just put up the best ‘happy couple’ look you can, I’ll be content. We weren’t… thrilled with Ishtar, either.”

Arthur listened with intent, knowing he couldn’t refuse what she was asking. Besides, didn’t he want as much with Gil? “It all depends on your son, you know.”

“I know, but he likes you. He really does. I’m sure if you tell him, he’ll agree to it too.”

Right… telling Gil that he met with his mother secretly. He does owe him that much. “I’ll do the best I can. I… want to be with your son through the hard times, so it’s not exactly asking me something I wouldn’t do.”

That much sounded like a bare confession, and he cursed himself for it, but Ninsun seemed happy to hear it. The two chatted quietly into the afternoon about Gil before she pardoned herself to go—busy lifestyle, after all. Arthur realized, ruefully, that she didn’t even think to bribe him to do it. That was one difference between her and her son.

\--

“Don’t get mad.”

Gilgamesh immediately bristled. “What did you do?”

“I met with your mother.”

“What—?!”

“It’s okay, it’s okay! She texted me and I thought I should go. She’s a lot nicer than you lead me to believe, you know.”

Gilgamesh crossed his arms, leaning against the wall. “What did she want to talk about?”

“She… wants me to stay with you until your father passes away.”

That gave him pause. He hadn’t expected that. Still, he sized up Arthur as though he were still annoyed with him for not giving him a heads up. “What did you tell her?”

“I would.”

Gilgamesh gave a soft hmph. “Extending your contract, are we?”

“It’s not something I want to do for my contract. I just… want to do it.”

That was curious. Arthur didn’t seem like the type to take money for this sort of thing, but they were still within a contract. Extending it was just proper business, and compensating him for his time was part of that. Perhaps because Gil only thought in numbers, he was confused as to why Arthur would unselfishly do such a thing. Surely he wanted _more_ money, right? It would be good for his nest egg.

“Tell me how much I owe you.”

“No. Let me do this on my own.”

“Are you trying to be my friend, Arthur?”

Taken aback, Arthur wasn’t sure what to say. He thought they _were_ friends, at the very very least. Hadn’t he called him interesting? Maybe… maybe earning friendship was different with him. It took more time than six months, which Arthur weakly realized was enough time for him to fall in love with Gil. He sighed, decided to bury those feelings for now.

“Yes, Gilgamesh. I’m trying to be your friend.”

“… very well. It looks like we need to be seen around town again. Get cute with me, we need to make some tabloids.”

That was that.

As the two left the apartment to walk about town on something like a date, Arthur ruminated on Gil. At least now, he couldn’t mistake this again as misinterpreting Gil’s affection for love if he didn’t consider them close friends yet. He wouldn’t make the same mistake as he did with Lancelot. He couldn’t. From here on out, it was all about earning Gil’s attention properly, courting him subtly, and most importantly, appearing to look like the world’s sweetest couple.

Holding hands on the sidewalk was a punishable offense by bystanders in New York, but Arthur still walked closely with him, shoulder to shoulder, talking about whatever came to mind. About how he’d like to go back to a proper internship and pursue his career, and Gilgamesh quipping back that Arthur had a full-time job to attend to yet. As they passed a bookstore, Arthur froze in his tracks.

“Oh my god.”

“What?”

Arthur just dumbly pointed. Lancelot’s latest book had been released, and the art on the cover was… something. It looked like he’d very obviously killed off his main character.

“Oh, your lover.”

“Don’t say that,” Arthur huffed.

“Why are you so startled? He writes books.”

“He based this character off me.”

Gilgamesh looked at the picture a little bit closer, squinted, and said, “That’s creepy as hell.”

“Hold on, I want to go in and get it.”

“Masochism, Arthur? I thought you kept that in the bedroom.” Gilgamesh took a hold of the crook of his elbow, stopping Arthur from going any further. “Don’t.”

“Why not?”

“It’s painful, isn’t it?” He said quietly. “But subjecting yourself to the pain others feel from your actions willingly is no way to move on from them or learn from them. You’re just going to tear open old wounds if you open that book and read about how he’s maimed his vision of you.”

Arthur was still staring at the cover, intently. “Yeah… yeah, it wouldn’t do me any good.”

“You have to move on. The whole reason you broke your contract is that you lingered on old feelings. Focus on the new ones.”

_Like the feelings I have for you?_ Arthur thought to himself bitterly, knowing he was going to be thinking to himself a lot about this. Sometimes, he wondered if Gil knew, and it was really obvious and he was just messing with him. That, or he plain didn’t return those feelings and decided to pretend to be oblivious… but at the same time, Gil had said so many things that verged on romantic, ‘how can I trust you with my life but not my heart’ being the main contender.

Maybe Gil was just as confused about his feelings as he was?

As Arthur bought a crepe from a small shop and held it out to Gilgamesh to take a bite, someone snapped a picture of the two of them right at the moment he bit down. ‘Operation Get Photos Taken Of Us On A Cute Date’ was a success. As the sun set in the west, Gilgamesh told him he had something he needed to take care of and bid Arthur farewell for the evening.

Arthur watched him as he walked away, feeling the gap between them grow a little wider.

\--

Arthur.

God, was that man infuriatingly hard to understand and utterly simple at the same time.

As Gilgamesh shrugged off his coat and handed it to the maid to hang up, he realized this was the first time he’d been home in a long while, after crashing at Enkidu’s place for some time. Arthur’s house was like a sanctuary, but it was all play and no work. If he wanted to get anything done, he’d have to surround himself with productive people. Staying at Arthur’s place meant sex until exhaustion and good food. Staying at Enkidu’s meant he’d open up his laptop and chat with him until 5 AM as he got work done.

He was here to see his father, who was no doubt sleeping upstairs. As he took the spiral staircase in the center of the house (ostentatious and a marvel of eccentric architecture) up to the third floor, he wondered what he’d say to him. ‘Surprise, father, I may have no grandchildren to offer you, but I do have a wonderful escort pretending to be my boyfriend until you die.’ Gil wasn’t bitter about his upbringing at all, but he did have Thoughts about his father that were less than charitable.

He knocked on the heavy bedroom door before a hoarse voice croaked ‘come in’.

The television was on and his father was relaxing on top of the covers, with a nurse at his side, adjusting the IV drip attached to his arm. Gil and his father were business partners, in exchange for being an upstanding son, he’d given him free rein with their money and endless privileges, so long as he didn’t squander them. It was a formal transaction that didn’t require any contracts.

“Boy, close the door.”

Gilgamesh shut it behind him.

“You really should be hooked up to that thing 24/7, instead of taking it off and coming to work.”

“Every second I stay in bed, I think about closing my eyes and not opening them again. To work is bliss. Idleness will kill me.”

“It’s actually your illness that will kill you. Sorry to rain on your parade.”

His father laughed, though Gil failed to see the humor in it. “When you get to your deathbed, you’ll be clamoring for your desk, you’ll see.”

The two were left in relative silence, Gil overlooking his father’s now thinner frame as this sickness took over his body and robbed him of his youth. He was sorry to lose him, he really was—even he could tell that nobody wanted him to live more than himself. He had vigor that was meant to last a lifetime, not cut short by unfortunate genetics handing down predetermined illness.

“How is that other boy you spend time with? Arthur, the papers said.”

“He’s fine,” Gilgamesh’s hands were in his pockets. “He takes up my time and uses it well. You’d like him. He’s intelligent, witty… saved my life, possibly.”

His father looked at him for a moment as if to say ‘what?’, then thought the better of it. “Are you happy with him?”

“I am. He’s…”

At first, Gilgamesh didn’t know how to describe Arthur. He liked him, but he made sure he knew his place. Gilgamesh wanted to see the best side of Arthur, and so he had to make him work to show it. He deserved the finest things in life, the finest people, so god damn it, he wanted to see Arthur _better_ himself. At the same time, though… Arthur was already a diamond in the rough. It was hard not to be attracted to him on some base level, but the _trust_. That was hard to mend.

“… cute, and quick on his feet. Steadfast with a lot of resolve. I wish I had found him when I began working for the company, I would have had him working under me much sooner than now.”

Gil’s father laughed at the crude implication, wincing as his nurse jostled the IV as she pardoned herself from the room.

“So no girls, huh?”

“You’ve known that for a while, ‘else I wouldn’t have disposed of Ishtar so quickly.”

“Figures. You can’t fight who you are.” He took a deep breath, before speaking again. “I just want the best for you, boy. If Arthur _is_ the best, then keep him close and don’t let go of him. You’ve already done me proud, I don’t need to save that line for when I croak.”

Gilgamesh didn’t need his praise but gracefully accepted it nonetheless. “I’m going to keep him, don’t worry.” Arthur might be a project, sure. A house that needed new plumbing, a few coats of paint, and to learn how to be honest but Gilgamesh saw him for what he could be. He just needed to mend himself.

“Good… now then, let’s talk shop.”

The two talked into the evening about work, about what would happen to the business when he died, about how Gilgamesh was going to take the whole thing under his wing at age 25. How he needed to be smart, how he needed to be ready for everyone that wanted to cannibalize him and all of his work. It wasn’t the first time Gil’s father had this conversation with him, but it may very well be the last. As such, Gil paid attention, even to things he already knew, because imparting this wisdom might have been repetitive enough to be a hammer to a crooked nail. Once he was gone, he’d never have the chance to guide him again.

Gilgamesh’s father was immortal to him, at least in the present, at least until the very last minute his heart beat. Until then, he wouldn’t worry about what to do without him.


	21. Chapter 21

Morbid curiosity was a difficult thing to leash. Gilgamesh told him not to and he seriously meant it when reading the book would probably dig up old wounds, but how could he not? He didn’t pin Lancelot, a man who was older than him, as someone who would do something like kill off his character over something as petty as this, so he had to get to the truth of it. Sure, their last meeting was… like being brought to someone’s house to apologize by a stern parent (note to self: never call Gilgamesh ‘daddy’), and kind of humiliating, but he wouldn’t go that far, right?

Arthur went to the bookstore in his town and picked up a copy, a coffee, and settled down in one of the oversized chairs to read through it himself.

As minutes turned into hours, he realized one thing for certain; that the cover picture was misleading. Sure, the character died, but he was revived only a few chapters later that was spent with the love interest as the POV character. The necromancer warned that during death, the mind is altered forever, so they wouldn’t come back with the same personality. So the prince was dead for good. He supposed he told Lancelot to do as much? Closing the book after he felt like he had a good grasp of what was going on, he opened up his phone to read some interviews that took place after the book’s release.

The cover had been to mislead viewers into thinking this was the final book, as suggested by his editor. Still… he must’ve known Arthur would see it, right? God, Arthur didn’t understand anyone around him but Artoria. The one constant in his life, in her steadfast, headstrong way. Either way, Lancelot was out of his life now, and he wouldn’t be coming back unless Arthur unblocked him from his phone. Besides, he was committed to someone now—_really_ committed.

Putting the book back on the shelf, because he didn’t really want Gilgamesh to see it at home, even if he wasn’t necessarily the boss of him (okay, he kind of was), Arthur left the bookstore and went to take Cavall II for a walk.

It was around this time he should be visiting Artoria, right? Those millions of dollars weren’t going away anytime soon, and it wasn’t like he could deplete his funds by flying back and forth—even just a million dollars was an unfathomable amount of money. Still, he really needed to stay in New York while Gil’s father was sick. Maybe he could invite Artoria here?

After a quick phone call, it was settled. She’d fly out the next evening and he’d meet her at the airport. Besides, hadn’t he wanted to show her around? They didn’t really have the opportunity last time they were here. He wanted to show her to the best food stops in the city. For such a petit person, even since they were kids, she was basically the reason he got so good at cooking.

As Cavall took his time sniffing another puppy in the dog park, his phone rang again.

“Arthur, are you free tonight?”

“Tonight, sure… but I’m gonna take some time off with Artoria the next few days after.”

“Good. My parents want to have dinner with you.”

Oh god. Meeting the father. Meeting the dying father. Arthur wasn’t sure why he didn’t expect this, he knew he’d have to impress the man before he passed, but so soon? Then again, time was of the essence. “Sure… sure. Is there anything I need to know beforehand?”

“Why?”

“Because we’re doing this relationship thing _together_, Gil. You can’t throw me to the wolves without a hint as to what might impress him.”

He could hear a disgruntled sigh from the other end of the phone. “He loves his work and he likes people who challenge him without undermining his authority. There. Helpful?”

“Sounds a lot like someone I know.”

“You didn’t just compare me to my father.”

“I’m just saying, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree,” Arthur quipped back. “So… where am I meeting you?”

“At my house. Still, know the way?”

“Send me the address and the time and I’ll be there.”

Nerves thoroughly wracked, Arthur wondered what the hell he was going to do. He could turn on the charm again, but he had a feeling he’d be seen through. At the same time, he couldn’t just stammer in his seat and come off as a weakling. Power mattered to these people, real, honest power, and in this case, they believed in the power Arthur had over Gilgamesh to make him love him—so he had to be his most convincing, most adoring, and the easiest part was, that wasn’t going to be difficult so much as a touch painful. Reflecting on it, he realized—he’d never really pretended about their relationship except in the very beginning. The moment Gil wanted the prince to leave, he had mostly disappeared.

Now all he had to do was convince his parents they were playing the part.

\--

Grey rainclouds hung in the air as Arthur pulled up to Gilgamesh’s house, the occasional rumble of thunder echoing in the distance. Rain was imminent, and as soon as he set foot onto the paved concrete of their driveway, little specks of water were beginning to fall and make marks. Hurrying his way to the doorstep, he knocked, fully expecting a maid and surprised to see Gilgamesh answer, dressed snappily in a turtleneck and slim-fitting black pants. Arthur didn’t waste any time, he quickly kissed the corner of his mouth and asked, “Am I late?”

“No, you’re a bit early. Come. To the parlor.”

Whatever Arthur had expected of Gilgamesh’s father, it wasn’t for him to be a dark-haired, bearded man who was looking too thin for his suit. Apparently, Gilgamesh got all of his looks from his mother, as Arthur didn’t see even a trace of familiarity between them besides the appraising eye that he gave Arthur. With a brisk sense of realization, Arthur realized his acquaintanceship with this man would end very soon with his death—and it was difficult to look at someone through that lens, that they’re due for the casket sometime soon. He decided to treat him like anyone else, like he had a chance of surviving, and that he’d have to impress him for the rest of his life.

“It’s a pleasure to finally meet you,” Arthur offered a firm handshake, noticing how bony his hand felt beneath his grip.

“Pleasure’s mine. It’s Lugalbanda.”

This man was worth more than several generations of Arthur’s family put together. He radiated authority, even in this fragile state, and Arthur was sure that the task in front of him was going to be harder than anticipated. He wouldn’t settle for someone ditzy, stupid, or arrogant dating his son. He’d have to toe a fine line between confident and overzealous, smart and conceited.

“I realize this is fairly late in the game to meet your son’s boyfriend, but we were keeping it on the down-low as much as possible.”

“Clearly not enough, if your tabloid pictures were any indication,” Lugalbanda leaned forward to grab his glass of whiskey, doctor’s orders be damned. “But it is nice to see him with someone lasting more than a month. What do you do, Arthur?”

Luckily, he came prepared. “I’m at an internship at the Museum of Natural History.” In truth, he’d called in about it a few weeks ago and only was recently accepted, thanks to his degree. It was still unpaid, of course, but it was an excuse when people asked where he worked nonetheless.

“Historian?”

“That’s right.”

Gilgamesh slipped his hand around Arthur’s arm. “He’s actually quite sharp, this one. Took me upstate to see constellations and knew them like the back of his hand.”

His father wasn’t one for fanciful old stories, though. Historians were an important part of society, as doomsayers when people were veering back towards catastrophe, personally telling everyone ‘I told you so’ when conflict happened again in the same ways as before. Arthur could tell he wasn’t particularly sure if he approved of it as a career choice, but had to put up with it from Gilgamesh before anyway.

Arthur could also tell that Gilgamesh was putting more affection forward than usual because if he feigned his usual disinterest and distance, his parents would never buy it. Still, it was interesting to see Gil act so… cute. Just the action of holding Arthur’s arm felt sweet, but Arthur could see through it clear as day. Slipping his arm around Arthur’s was something Gil tended to do accidentally, like when they were walking back to his apartment and he held him in place as he window-shopped and then forgot to let go. If it was ever deliberate, Arthur had no clue.

“Interesting… so I take it you wouldn’t be interested in working for the company.”

“No, sir. I’m afraid it’s not my forte.”

“Too bad. We could use more people with good heads on their shoulders. How old are you?”

“Twenty-eight.”

The conversation carried on into the evening as Arthur overheard the table being set and the scent of something finely cooked carry into the room. He was quick enough on his feet, answering every question and maintaining perfect eye contact. It was exhausting and he was certain Gilgamesh could feel his heart racing just from sitting so close. Occasionally, he’d tag in and answer questions for him, giving him momentary relief to think up what to say next as he was grilled in his seat. Soon, they sat in the enormous, frankly _enormous_ dining room and began to eat.

As thunder began to ring out throughout the entire house, Gilgamesh spoke up. “Perhaps you’d better stay the night, Arthur.”

“Would it be any trouble?” He thought about Cavall II, home alone for the night, but thankfully he’d fed him before he left.

“Not at all. You can stay in my room.”

His father and mother exchanged glances, but neither said a word. As the night marched on, the rain fell harder and harder and the windows were taking a beating as it fell in harsh torrents. The living room that led out from the dining room was head to toe in beautiful architecture and windows, giving them a full view of the storm’s path outside. Driving home in this weather would be like testing God’s patience and if he wanted you to get in a wreck on the highway or not.

It was settled, then. Arthur would head up to Gilgamesh’s room for the evening, but not before one last exchange with his father.

“You from overseas?”

“That’s right.”

“So… when you finish your internship, are you going to head back there? Teach at Oxford?”

Arthur laughed. “I don’t think Oxford is looking for hip, fresh faces to teach their history classes. I think they might want someone with more experience.”

“Fair, but you're a smart kid. I’m sure I could get you anywhere you wanted to work.”

Arthur listened, wondering if he should take him up on this offer… before shaking his head. “I would like to get a job based on my own merits. I’d like to earn all the recommendations I get.”

This got the older man to chuckle. “What, my recommendation’s not good enough?”

“Not at all, it’s just simply too powerful. You could move literal mountains with it. It’d be too easy.”

“You’re hilarious, kid. Try and make sure some of that sense of humor rubs off on my son, will ya?”

\--

As thunder shook the entire house, Arthur was wondering if he’d ever get some sleep with the sound ringing in his ears. He didn’t bother to ask for a pair of pajamas, just stripped down to his boxers and found his way into Gilgamesh’s bed.

Gilgamesh, however, preferred nothing at all when he could manage it, and even with the rain outside, it was still a hot June. He slid between the covers and looked over Arthur’s way.

“You did well.” He spoke, low enough to not be overheard from the door. “He buys it.”

Arthur wasn’t sure how to feel about that, considering he’d been answering and acting sincerely the entire night. He wasn’t making his father ‘buy’ anything, everything he’d said and done had been the real deal. He wasn’t going to correct him, though. To Gilgamesh, this all was a ruse and he’d better get used to that fact. Still, Arthur slipped his arm around his waist and pulled him closer. Gilgamesh nudged him.

“You don’t have to keep it up when we’re alone.”

“Come on,” Arthur teased. “Are you seriously saying you don’t like it when I cuddle you? At the very least, we’re bedmates, right?”

Gilgamesh didn’t even want to dignify that with an answer, pressing his head to the pillow but allowing Arthur to hold him close. As Arthur’s chest was flush against Gil’s back, Gil couldn’t help but think to himself.

Why was it so safe in Arthur’s arms?

Their frames weren’t all that different, it wasn’t like being held by someone bigger. Besides, he didn’t trust this man and he said it all the time, but… maybe Gilgamesh embellished that sometimes. Maybe he could trust him in some ways and not others. He just knew he’d never forgive him if he ran off with someone else at the end of this little trade of theirs. He realized he hadn’t been thinking of a life without Arthur for a long time, now. What did that make him?

He rolled over so that he was facing Arthur, who blinked softly at him, still not asleep.

“What’s keeping you up?” Gilgamesh asked, fighting off a yawn.

“Nothing, I was just…”

“Watching me sleep?” He gave a soft ‘heh’, as if it was a cruel joke. “Really, you’ll be leaving first thing in the morning. I don’t understand why you’re wasting your time staying awake.”

“Me either.”

There was something raw and honest about that, as Arthur stared at him blankly, as if seeing through him or looking into him instead of just at him. Gilgamesh was starting to get the feeling that Arthur was keeping yet another secret, but this time, it was one of necessity instead of one of deception. Gilgamesh finally spoke up.

“Tell me about the first time you were drugged.”

“… Really? This again…”

“I want to know. And you seem comfortable.”

Arthur closed his eyes, summoning up the memory in vivid recollection. “It was during a business conference that was taking place in town. A man hired me at the hotel instead of on an outing. We shared drinks and I didn’t watch mine. The next thing I knew, I woke up half-stripped with this guy just… staring at me. I guess I hadn’t drunk enough of whatever it was, but his hand was up my shirt and I just—I remember calling for help, and that was when—”

“…” Gilgamesh listened intently, nodding as if to tell him to go on.

“Do you remember Passionlip? The girl from my class who introduced me to this life.”

“Yeah.”

“She came in right away. She’s the meekest girl I’ve ever met, but I’ve never seen anyone—man or woman—throw a punch like the one she did to get him off of me. It was scary, and everything before and after that was hazy, but I don’t think I was…” He gestured in the air. “At_ least_, I don’t think—”

“You don’t have to say it.” Gilgamesh could see through him. Regardless of what happened, this was something he revisited on a frequent basis, a memory that scared him and sent an adrenaline rush through him whenever he recalled it in detail, as if activating his fight or flight response. Gil pressed a kiss to his neck in an effort to calm him down, and as Arthur’s eyelids fluttered, he realized it was working. There was something so comforting about Gilgamesh’s touch, and he knew it was because he was in love with the damned man, but there was more to it than that. Gilgamesh seemed to seek out his weaknesses and then try to bandage them with better memories, just like how he seemed to tell Arthur about the time he’d drugged himself as a way to bridge the gap over his incident breaking the contract. This side of him was surprisingly… tender. Arthur loved it.

“Oh…” He felt himself blush just a tiny bit. “Anyway, are you happy now?”

“I’m never happy to learn about what happened to you in the past. It makes me sick to think about it.”

“Well, I’ll be sure to tell you stories any time you want.”

“…” Gilgamesh paused. “I don’t like hearing them. I don’t like hearing about you with other men or women.”

Arthur paused. That was textbook jealousy, right there. Maybe… Did he feel the same way? Or maybe Arthur was just another possession to Gil, or maybe it was both. Either way, he kissed Gil’s forehead as if to soothe him back.

“You have to accept it was a part of my life, you know. It’s how you bought me.”

“I accept it, I just…”

Arthur was his, flawed with mistakes or not, he was just… his. Gilgamesh claimed him before all others, and he dared anyone to tread upon his territory. To think he’d let him go at the lowest point of his life, when his father eventually passed. That’s…

“Will you still be—will you still keep in contact after you move to the UK?”

Arthur was surprised. “Would you like to stay friends after all?”

“Of course.”

“Then I will.”

Neither of them was quite content with the wording as they fell asleep, but neither of them was about to open their mouths and contest it, either.


	22. Chapter 22

Arthur left the next morning just as he promised and went straight home. He had time to kill before Artoria’s flight arrived, but he wanted to be ready. Parked in the cell lot just a few miles away from the airport, he’d put a special bowtie collar on Cavall II to doll him up for his sister’s arrival. She’d loved dogs just as much as he did, and though she’d heard about the dog, she’d never actually _seen_ him, except for his overflowing instagram. He’d wanted to make it a surprise. She’d teased him about the name—for as clever as Arthur could be, he was terribly unoriginal, naming him after their childhood mutt.

Predictably, as soon as he pulled into the pick-up lane and she threw her luggage into the trunk, she gasped at the sight of the dog trying to fit its muzzle through the crack of the window, more than she was ever considering the fact that her brother was picking her up in a Porsche. She’d shoved herself into the seat next to him and gratefully pulled the dog into her lap as they pulled away, ruffling its fur gently as she went on to talk.

“… and the man next to me? Snored the entire seven hours. Like, God bless him for being able to sleep on a plane, because I’m not used to it nearly enough to do that,” Cavall was doing his best to lick her chin, and each time she had to lean her head back. “So how’s your boyfriend doing?”

“Not good…” He quickly got her up to speed on the situation, carefully avoiding the fact that he’d fallen in love with him in between the time he’d last seen her.

“Well, you and I have been through that. Parents dying. It never gets easier, but as long as you’re there with him—oh my _gosh_, this dog… you need to take him to get trained before he becomes too old to teach.”

“Cavall, lay.”

Immediately, the puppy stopped trying to lick Artoria and laid down properly in her lap. Grateful for the reprieve, Artoria pet his back gently.

“You have a lot of time off to teach him, then?”

“I started a new internship, but… yeah, basically all of my free time between Gilgamesh and that has been training the puppy.”

Between making sure his home was ready whenever Gilgamesh came by to visit, all of his time had been dedicated to Cavall II. He was already a smart little dog, knew how to grab his leash when he needed to be taken on a walk, didn’t wake Arthur up in the morning anymore, and knew the basic ABCs of dog tricks, like sit, shake, and play dead. Arthur had been grateful for the distraction, it helped to keep his mind on something other than sex all the time and worrying about his personal problems.

“So am I going to see your boyfriend while I’m here?”

“Possibly, but most likely not. I requested a few days off for your time here.”

Artoria bristled slightly at that, knowing just what he needed days off from. She would never get used to the fact that her brother’s day job was sex. No sister needed to know that much information, even if she demanded it out of him. “He can’t have that much of an appetite.”

“Well, not lately, but… yeah, he can.”

“Dis_gusting_.”

“Well, I’m your brother. It’s not something I want you to think about either.”

Predictably, Artoria was shell-shocked to see a wide canvas painted blue, white, and gold in abstract, intricate patterns in his living room by her favorite artist. She demanded to know why he’d spent that much money, why he hadn’t told her—but Arthur was quick to say that it was Gilgamesh’s idea, and he could see her brow furrow as she wondered whether Gil was commendable or stupid for paying so much money for a mere house decoration. This should belong in a museum, she insisted!

They shared lunch and dinner together as they explored the city, window shopping as Arthur was compelled to treat her to whatever caught her eye—a new coat, a trip to the art gallery, really anything, even as she insisted that she could never fit his gifts in her suitcase. He was starting to understand Gil a bit better and his desire to spoil people once he had the funds to do so. Artoria was pragmatic, so the excess felt like squander.

Later, as she got comfortable sleeping on the sofa when night had fallen, Arthur’s phone rang. Cavall was comfortably curled up by her feet, only glancing up when the trademark jingle of his phone stirred him.

“Hello?”

“Arthur.”

It was Gil, naturally.

“Can I help you? It’s my weekend off, so—”

“I know, but let’s put it this way: I need overtime. Today was stressful, and…”

“You can’t come over. Artoria’s sleeping here.” Arthur’s voice was firm.

“Then let’s go to your hotel. Surely they still have a room for you?”

He looked back at his sister’s sleeping form and felt guilty for giving in. “Look, do my days off even matter anymore? If you need me, just say so. I don’t care about overtime. Stop phrasing it like that.”

“So I’ll meet you there in a half-hour.”

“Depends on traffic. See you.”

\--

It felt weird going back.

This was the room he’d dealt with so many people in, so many times he’d traded his body for money, and it was the first place he and Gil ‘met’, at least that he remembered. He felt kind of anxious being in the room, like he was there with the ghost of his past self, who’d buried down all sorts of unpleasant memories with belligerent, rough clients and the strange ones and of course, Lancelot. This room was a graveyard of pain he endured and toughed out for the sake of a smaller balance, or at least paying off the interest. He realized he was much more comfortable at home than in this sterile but _filthy_ place.

When Gil entered the room, he tossed his jacket onto the floor and backed Arthur up against the bed in a kiss. How much of this was Arthur being used as a stress toy and how much of it was finding comfort in his arms? It had to be a mixture of the two, as no one before had kissed him so furiously and so needily.

“What happened at work today?”

“Press conference. Jackals with microphones, all clamoring for my attention. It was annoying, to say the least.” Gilgamesh gripped the back of his blond crop of hair and pulled it back so his head tilted upward into his lips, silencing him effectively. “But now I have you.”

“Let’s not do it here again after this. I don’t… like this room.”

Gil considered this for but a moment. “Agreed. I don’t like it either, but we’ll have to make do with it for now.”

Arthur stripped him quietly, hands grazing over his body as if to soothe him, beckoning him to lay down so he could massage his back. If there was one thing he was grateful to learn from his ‘coworkers’, it was how to give a good massage—because sometimes that was all a client wanted, gentle touch from another human being. He felt guilty he hadn’t contacted anyone lately… he was terrible at keeping up with them, and it wasn’t like they all had social media that proudly proclaimed their profession. It was discreet business.

For a moment, that seemed like it was all Gilgamesh would be content with, Arthur working out the knots in his back, but then he flipped himself over and pulled Arthur down for a kiss—but all Arthur could think about was this room, the room where he buried all of his terrible memories of this job that he was now reopening, like a tomb where all the dust had settled. He pulled up and off of Gilgamesh.

“I’m sorry, I—”

“What is it?”

“This place… it’s where…”

“I thought you were used to it?”

Arthur’s expression faltered. “I… it’s something I thought I was used to. Now that I’ve been away from it, I forgot how terrible this room makes me feel.”

“… we can go to a proper hotel.”

“Can we? Thanks.”

As the two got dressed and headed out, someone grabbed Arthur’s arm as soon as he was leaving. The lavender-haired girl with a pink ribbon smiled up at him. “Saber?”

“Oh, Passionlip! Hey.” Arthur leaned down to give her a hug, while Gilgamesh simply stared at the girl. Her proportions were, for a lack of a better word, _obscene_ and her outfit left little to the imagination.

“I was worried about you. We all were when we heard you were bought out for the year—” She glanced over at Gilgamesh, and gave a polite ‘hello’. He tore his eyes off her body and managed to return the greeting. “Will you come and visit again?”

“I’m sorry, Passion, I—I don’t know if being here is good for me, but you can always text me and we can talk about work,” Knowing she was too shy to initiate the first text, he continued. “Actually, I’ll text you after work. Okay?”

She nodded happily. “Mm! I’ll look forward to it! I have to go wait for… um… anyway, good luck.”

As she disappeared around the corner, Gilgamesh hissed, “My God, I’ve never seen a—”

“Shhh!” Arthur raised a finger at him. “Shh. Be polite, would you?”

It took all kinds of people to run an establishment like this, and with Arthur gone, he hazarded a guess that they probably hired someone like him to take his place, although he’d never guess who. While having friends in the business was invaluable, there was also a good reason to stay private and keep to yourself. You never wanted your customer’s name to reach the light of day. This was a discreet and still very _illegal_ business, after all. Gilgamesh had taken a risk in hiring Arthur. Even now, Arthur still got phone calls if he was keeping up his end of the contract from his boss. He reassured him every time he was working harder than he ever had before.

The next hotel was an upstanding old-fashioned Hilton, and though they checked in with no bags, no one batted an eye. They’d be gone before the night was up anyway, as Arthur had to be there when Artoria woke up. Though checking into hotels with no intention of staying the night also brought up some painful memories, he’d take this over the love hotel any day of the week.

Gilgamesh must have been pent up, _really_ pent up because the moment they unlocked the room door and Arthur stepped in, he was shoved to the bed with little ceremony. Following suit by climbing on top of him, he dipped his head low and whispered, “I’m postponing your little offer to get on top. Right now, I want you to take me like you did the other evening. You were wild, unfocused… it was hot as hell and I want more.”

How difficult would it be to say it wasn’t just something he could flip on, like a switch? He kissed him back, trying to work himself into that mood, that mood where he was so incensed with Gil and in _love_ with him, and it wasn’t as hard as he thought. He just needed the time to kiss him, to run his hands along the familiar expanse of his body, to realize he’d learned every curve of him inside and out. He thought of lewd things he wanted to say and wisely suppressed them, opting for dirty talk that bordered on romantic.

“I’d love to run away with you someday…” Arthur whispered, lips ghosting along his Adam's apple. “Back to Fiji, or wherever you have a private villa because you must have plenty—and I’d want to make up that last vacation to you.”

“Arthur…?” Did he usually talk so much?

“I just… I was still selfish back then. You were kind of…”

“Arthur.”

Arthur lifted his head. “Yeah?”

“What are you rambling on about?”

Arthur’s expression fell. “I was just… I think I was trying to dirty talk?”

“Get dirtier, then.”

A flush fell across Arthur’s face, then a wicked smile crossed his lips. “I want to stir up your insides, daddy.”

Gilgamesh burst out laughing, grabbing the pillow behind him and hitting him with it. It was infectious, Arthur tittering as Gilgamesh lay there, trying to breathe between gasps of laughter that he sorely needed, just as much if not more than the sex. As he calmed down, tears forming in the corners of his eyes, he cupped Arthur’s cheeks and brought him back down for a kiss. This time, tender and affectionate, and if Arthur didn’t know any better, it felt like it had a bit of love behind it.

“Arthur… jesus, you’re going to kill me someday.”

“What? Was it not sexy?”

“It was the epitome of erotic. God…” He dragged him back down, working off his shirt and pants as Arthur’s dexterous hands helped him out. He didn’t want to think about anything but this man beneath him, even as they disrobed and entangled themselves in one another, even as they finally got to the sex and Arthur just… felt so utterly charmed by the man beneath him, that he could make him laugh, that he could be so cute. The tears didn’t come this time, mostly because he was so focused on enjoying himself that the pain didn’t hit the same way. Sure, it was there, in an unrequited crush sort of way, but for a few moments, he could pretend it was there, clear as day, and they were just a regular couple.

Hadn’t this kind of thinking gotten him into trouble before?

Whatever, he didn’t care. Even as they got cleaned up, got dressed, and chilled out laying atop one another in the hotel room on their phones just to relax, he wouldn’t trade moments like this for anything.

He realized he hadn’t messaged Passion yet.

-**A**: You okay?

It would be hours before he got a response. Long after he and Gilgamesh finally left the room and went home.

-**P**: i had a pretty demanding client, sorry! >o<

-**P**: r u ok?? U seemed out of it when you were at the hotel

-**P**: i understand tho, it must feel weird coming back :( u had it rough while u were here

She was so much stronger than Arthur. The fact that she had still been working there all this time after he’d left to use his apartment to ‘work from home’ was incredible. She might’ve been shy, but she had ten times the bravery he did. As they texted back and forth, she largely talked about how the hotel got busier since he left and how people were asking for him left and right. She didn’t talk about her clients by name, but rather by little weird things about them. The guy who had asked to pierce Arthur’s ears like it was a fetish of his? Went to Passionlip and asked for the same thing, only she let him do it. (what? 2,000 dollars was 2,000 dollars.) There was another guy who treated her like she was a princess—literally like it was some sort of Disney roleplay, which she found super endearing. Then there were the jerks who just wanted to throw around money and feel you up. Luckily, no one had gotten a Patrick Bateman yet. The hotel was excellent at vetting their clients.

She ended the session of texting by telling him to message her more, even if he couldn’t talk about his client very much. She had sisters, but neither of them knew she worked there—he advised her to be honest with them, as you never knew how they could react when they found out.

-**P**: r u crazy? BB’d kill me!! haha. anyway, my back is killing me, night!

As he sprawled across his own bed, thankful he hadn’t woken up Artoria in the other room, he realized he was left alone with his thoughts again. Like the first time he’d ever taken a job at the hotel, or the times it got rough, or the times it was downright embarrassing, the times he’d lied to Artoria about it and of course, the first time he was drugged. All of it was a cacophony of cringe and regret and he knew that even if it made his life easier at the time, that it was physically less taxing than working his three jobs, he’d never get back some things about it. He’d learned some things he couldn’t unlearn, so to speak.

It was then that he realized that aside from Artoria, Gilgamesh had become a part of his support network. If he wanted to build trust, he had to talk to him.

-**A**: Hey, sorry for getting weird at the hotel tonight.

-**A**: I have so many bad memories there that it’s hard to talk about.

-**A**: And I know you don’t like hearing about them, either. Truth be told, I’m really grateful for you.

-**A**: And all that you’ve done for me.

-**A**: And…

-**A**: I think I might

-**A**: <strike>Feel for you</strike>

-**A**:<strike> I might like you more than I think I should</strike>

-**A**:<strike> Is it weird to get feelings for someone like you? Asking for a friend</strike>

-**A**:<strike> Oh god everything’s falling to bloody pieces because I’m being an emotional flake again</strike>

-**A**: want to see you more often, if that’s okay?

-**A**: I know you’ve got friends who take care of you and I’m really more of your stress toy, but I care about you too, you know?

-**A**: Anyway, goodnight.

As Arthur tossed his phone to the other side of the bed and laid down to sleep, he heard the buzz of a message but decided he wouldn’t bother until morning.

-**G**: I care about you too. More than I should.

_(Message Deleted: 2:13 AM)_


	23. Chapter 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> MY HAND IS CRAMPING  
That's what I get for writing 18k words in 5 days.
> 
> I referenced one of my favorite games lately in this chapter, haha. Also was listening to a lot of Hamilton's Wait For It this chapter, enjoy!

“He’s a bit of a prat, isn’t he?”

“Who?” Arthur was chopping vegetables for that afternoon’s lunch, listening to Artoria talk as she watched TV. Having her home with him was a treat, and the two had been talking for hours on end about her job, his new internship, and just about how life in New York was so much more excessive and noisier than back home, yet Arthur was getting used to the sounds of city life as a constant backdrop. It was almost comforting, had he not grown up somewhere quiet.

“Gilgamesh. He just… says ‘I’m buying you for 5 million’ and he uses you and he just—look, I’m grateful for him looking after you, but there’s got to be something wrong with someone who expresses their gratitude that way!” It seemed her opinion of him had changed since she last saw him, as if she had stewed over what he’d done and found the holes in the logic.

Arthur bristled. He wasn’t sure why anger was rising in his chest, why the sudden need to defend him was so pressing, but he blurted out, “If it weren’t for him, I’d still be there. I owe him so much, and really, you do too. I’ll thank you not to talk about him like that.”

Artoria looked at him like he was crazy. Surely he had to think something was wrong with someone who decided to buy someone’s sex life in order to ‘thank them’ for a good deed! “He should’ve just given you the money and told you the truth, like a sane person. Of course, because he’s stinking rich, he’s got to have a few screws loose…”

“He does not!” Arthur snapped back. “He’s incredibly intelligent, and if you’d listened, you’d remember he did that specifically so he wouldn’t remind me of what happened that night.” The sound of Arthur scraping vegetables into a wok was now louder than ever, the sizzling oil well representing his bubbling anger.

“Oh, _fuck_ me,” she stared at him in disbelief. “You’re in love with him, aren’t you?”

“I—no—” Her question caught him off guard, the very insinuation out in the open making his hands tremble as he tried to focus on preparing the meal. “He’s just given me a lot of chances and opportunities, and I’m incredibly grateful.”

“You are. Just look at you! You’re shaking like a leaf.”

“Even if I was, and that’s _if_, I’m out of his league. Besides, we’re completely platonic.”

“I don’t know. He put you in the bracket where you’re now wealthy enough to be in his league, and there’s nothing platonic about wanting to pay back someone by constantly sleeping with them.”

“It’s my job, or it _was_ my job. It’s only natural that he—”

“Look, I’m just saying, it doesn’t add up. He probably had a crush on you when you saved him and he doesn’t know how to communicate without money. Like I said, rich people are absolutely bonkers.”

“Even if I was… in love with him, I totally messed that up, so it’s not going to happen.”

Artoria walked over to the kitchen island, leaning over the counter and sizing him up. She didn’t really like Gilgamesh all that much, even less liked the idea of him being a brother in law. She was grateful to him, sure, but she wasn’t sure if she liked this stringing along that he was doing with her brother. “I think you’re selling yourself short, and I think there’s nothing that’s ‘just friends’ about your relationship. Even you have to admit it, you’re way beyond the point where you could say this was all a business transaction.”

She was right. Even Arthur knew that Gilgamesh had some sort of feelings for him, he just didn’t know what kind they were. Still, going ‘official’ could ruin a lot of things, and was he even sure that Gil trusted him yet? Without trust, you couldn’t really love someone. As he flipped around the vegetables in the wok, he realized that faking being platonic might just hurt him in the long run. The plan was to break it off whenever his father died, or if that happened sooner when the six remaining months were up. He didn’t want that.

“I don’t know what to do,” He admitted. “I think I just want to be with him no matter the situation.”

“That’s love.”

“Okay, shut up. So what if it’s love?”

Artoria leaned against the counter, lost in thought before speaking. “I just want you to be happy, Arthur, and telling him is the only way you’ll get it off your chest.”

Oh no, no no no, there was no way he could _tell him_. It wasn’t that long ago that Gil considered paying him overtime for continuing to fake their relationship! He’d laugh it off for certain or tell him that there was no need to continue faking around him when no one was around.

“I don’t think that’s possible.”

“I think you should test the waters, maybe? Do things like a proper couple and check his reaction. I think you might be surprised. Ask him on a date.”

A date…? Well, Gilgamesh definitely hated cowards, and if Arthur was forthright, he might win some points with him.

“I’ll do it.”

\--

-A: Gilgamesh?

It would be a while before Gil returned his message. He was busy juggling two jobs at once, after all. His father had finally taken a break from work to focus on intense treatments, so he was handling the big decisions now. He scarcely had time to breathe, let alone take time off to dally around with Arthur.

-G: Make it quick. What’s up?

-A: Would you like to go on a date with me?

Oh god. Arthur couldn’t believe he hit send, but if he stammered out his words or changed them at the last second, Gilgamesh would smell weakness on him like a fox outside a rabbit’s den.

-G: A date?

-G: Where.

-A: Have you ever been up to Coney Island?

-G: No… that sort of place is beneath me.

-A: We can feed stale hotdog buns to fat seagulls or somethin.g.

-A: Ha ha ha!

-A: I’m joikng.

Was the fact that he was typing with shaking fingers so apparent? He was 28 years old! Get a grip, Arthur, and take him somewhere nicer than there.

-A: But it’s not such a bad idea, honestly.

-A: You’ve never been there, and I’ve never been there.

-A: It beats a winery and going upstate again, right?

-A: Plus I bet you can’t be too far away from your work right now.

-G: True…

-G: But you said ‘date’.

-G: Do you mean that?

-A: Of course I do.

Remember, Arthur. Resolve is everything with Gilgamesh.

-A: So how about it?

-G: Well, I hope Siduri forgives me for everything I’m about to put on her plate.

-G: Sure.

-G: Pick me up at my office around 3 sharp.

Arthur exhaled a sigh of relief. He agreed to it! He even asked him to clarify—oh god, he asked him to clarify. That meant this really was a date and there was no getting around it. Not even a fake date to get the paparazzi to take photos, this was a real, bonafide step to actually dating. Arthur went to his closet and tried to pick out something that would impress.

Now he just had to look up Coney Island and see what it was they actually did there. Luna Park was there, and so was another amusement park…? He thought, anyway. At least he wasn’t bringing him to the Statue of Liberty or anything boring like that.

Okay, okay. He was ready. Now to pick him up.

\--

“You know, you’re tearing me away from a very busy day.”

“I’m sorry?”

“No, on the contrary, I need the break. I just don’t know anything about Coney Island.”

“I thought you lived here your whole life? Your parents seriously didn’t take you somewhere like that?”

“As a child, I was well-traveled. I didn’t do amusement parks, I did the Coliseum in Rome and Easter Island. We went to places where there was history, not … childish carnival games.”

Well, he was still 24, right? Wait, on that note—

“When’s your birthday?”

“November 5th.”

“Wow… you know, you’re still pretty young. I’m surprised you don’t seek out stuff like this.”

“It’s just not my thing.”

“Well… let’s make it a fun day, okay? Because I know you’ll have to head back face-first into a pile of paperwork whenever we get back.”

“Heh. Thanks for reminding me.”

\--

Luna Park was incredible. Arthur had never seen an amusement park this big or this packed on a weekend. He looked Gil’s way to make sure he wasn’t feeling claustrophobic or anything like that and used the opportunity to take his hand. Gil shot him a look but didn’t say anything.

“What do you feel like, food or rides?”

“I thought we were throwing hotdog buns at fat seagulls.”

“That was… mostly a joke,” Arthur looked embarrassed. “But I mean, we can—”

Gilgamesh was already leading him to one of the attractions, curiosity now thoroughly piqued. “Look at that thing… it looks ready to fall apart!”

“That’s a roller coaster.”

“I _know _what it is, Arthur.”

“Have you ever been in one?”

“Obviously not. They look like a death trap.”

“Then would you like to start with something small? Like…the ferris wheel!”

Gilgamesh looked uncertain, and Arthur wondered if he should ask if he was afraid of heights, but the two got in line for it anyway. As soon as their turn came up, Gilgamesh was intently focused on the view outside of the gondola as they slowly rose into the air.

“What’s your birthday, Arthur?” He asked, suddenly.

“Oh… September 13th.”

“So you’ll be five years older than me for a few months. Interesting.”

Arthur was grateful the ride was so slow because it gave him time to try and think of something to talk about. Something enticing, something interesting, come _on_, Pendragon, think! “Does it bother you?”

“Not in the slightest. I like older men.”

Arthur snorted. “I’m not _that_ much older than you.”

“It’s big enough, even if I’m the one with more responsibilities.”

Arthur fell quiet at that. Did he think Arthur was squandering his life doing so little? It must seem like he spends his days doing nothing in comparison to what Gilgamesh did, day in and day out. He was always working hard, always giving 110%. That’s why he took the internship—because he couldn’t stand the thought of being lazy.

“Back when I worked for the hotel, I—”

Gilgamesh gave him a Look, but Arthur pressed on.

“I had a lot of responsibilities there, too. Nothing compared to what you do now, but…”

“I’d rather have what I have than do what you did. I’m well within my rights to slack off, but because so many people depend on me, I have no choice but to pull my weight.”

“… do you think I don’t work hard?”

“On the contrary, I think you’re doing what you can with what you have. I do have you on call almost every hour of the day, and that’s a service I paid for. So you’re doing your job, honestly.”

Arthur looked down at his feet as they reached the top of the ferris wheel. “What if… it was less formal than that, though?”

“Oh?”

“What if you just called me when you needed me because you wanted to, not because you paid me?”

“That’s not our arrangement.”

“It could be,” Arthur pressed on. “I don’t mind doing what I can for you. I’ve come to realize lately that it’s a privilege to know you.”

The ferris wheel shuddered to a halt, and the two of them looked outside the windows, anxious. Over the loudspeaker, a man announced that they were facing technical difficulties and the ride would be up and running within fifteen to twenty minutes, and for everyone to stay calm. Gilgamesh quickly switched sides of the gondola to sit next to Arthur and hold onto him.

“Make no mistake, I’m not afraid of heights…” He looked Arthur’s way, grabbing his arm. “But I don’t like being in a little gondola hundreds of feet up in the air as they tell us there are _technical difficulties_.”

Arthur held onto his arm, patting it gently. “Don’t worry about it. The worst thing that can happen just happened. That means it’s all up from here.”

“Is that a philosophy you usually apply to your life?”

“Actually… I guess it is.” Looking back on it, the lowest of his lows had been with Lancelot, and everything from that point had been getting better and better, so long as Arthur worked for it, and he did. He worked for it nonstop, wanting so much more from life than being branded as a liar and a cheat— he wanted to fix his mistakes and he didn’t know if he succeeded yet, all of that depended on Gilgamesh.

“You must have had a lot of low points in your life.”

“Well… when dad died and mum was in the hospital, it was obvious things were never going to get better from there, but… I received my college acceptance letter and I had several wonderful years in my dream school. Then I got hit with debt and had to work for that hotel, but… then I met you. So yeah, everything has been ups and downs, but right now? It’s up.”

“So do you think you’re going to hit another low point? Is that how this works?”

Arthur pondered his question, knowing that low point would probably be the end of the year or whenever Gilgamesh’s father passed away, when he’d have to let go of this man and just be friends with him, watching him pursue someone else and living his life happily with them, but—life didn’t just have to be cyclical low points. One could work to live in the best situation they possibly could. They could have something better than just accepting whatever life threw at them. If Gilgamesh was there, life would never hit rock bottom again, because he would be with him.

“I think if life stays this way, I won’t hit another low point. I’ll have problems, yeah, but right now? I’m happy.”

Arthur desperately wanted Gilgamesh to read between the lines, the words practically screaming ‘I love you, stay with me’, but Gil said nothing to acknowledge them. “I think you’re a practical person, Arthur. Right now, I’m staring at a cliff that I’ll be pushed off once my father dies, and I’m doing my best to learn how to swim before that happens.”

“I’ll be here when it does.”

As the ferris wheel lurched back to life, Gilgamesh gave an audible sigh of relief, though in response to what, Arthur couldn’t tell.

\--

They did end up throwing bread at fat seagulls, in the end. Arthur remarked that it must be horrible for the birds, but Gil just laughed and said “They eat like kings. What does it matter if it’s unhealthy for them? Humans live the same way.”

“I guess…” Arthur tossed out the last of the bread and watched as two gulls pulled it apart and choked it down. “Did you have fun?”

“I learned a lot about you, today.”

“Oh, such as?”

“You are hopelessly in love with me.”

Despite the June heat, Arthur could feel his blood freeze in his veins and chill him down to the core. He didn’t know what to say. Suddenly words weren’t coming out of his mouth in any sort of coherent sentence. He couldn’t deny it or confirm it, he just clutched the empty plastic bag in his hand in a vice grip. He was so obvious. Too obvious! He absolutely screwed himself over by talking about how being with him was a high point and how if everything stayed the same… oh god, he was so dumb. He had one brain cell and it left the building as soon as he opened his mouth.

“Hahaha… funny. We’re business partners,” Arthur managed to choke out, desperately avoiding the elephant in the room.

“We are, but you seem to have fallen down the same rabbit hole you nearly did with Lancelot. Your ‘kink’ for love. It’s incredibly obvious. Everything you say is just so… hopeless.”

Arthur’s chest felt like it split open to form a chasm, his heart falling deep into it. Rejection was never so bitter and never so painful. He had hoped his message got across, but in that hope, he also wished that they continued this non-verbal song and dance until the time was right. Gilgamesh, predictably, wasted no time in shooting him down once he got the message.

“But…”

Arthur couldn’t bear to look at him, even as Gilgamesh continued to speak.

“I don’t know, Arthur. You are more than a friend, but I’m waiting for a moment for this to all _click_ or fall apart. I don’t know when that’ll happen, but until then, I can’t answer your feelings with full certainty.”

So he wasn’t rejecting him… but he wasn’t accepting him, either. He was waiting for it, the one moment that Arthur proved himself or shattered his chances. If Arthur had never broken his contract, his answer might have been different. Still, even if Gil was being honest, it didn’t feel like he was saying the extent of his feelings, like he was restraining himself to keep the conversation rational. Arthur could respect that, even if he felt absolutely seen through.

“That’s… fair,” Arthur finally said, staring off across the water.

“Don’t feel discouraged, Arthur. Wait for it. We’ll know if this is right for us when it happens.”

When what _happened_? What was Gil waiting for? Arthur couldn’t reach him the same way Gilgamesh could so easily read him. What was their contract going to be like now? Would Gil still call on him? Could Arthur bear that?

“Thank you, Arthur. This date was… interesting.”

As they split up for the evening when Arthur dropped him off back at his office, he stared into space for just a moment before pulling out and driving through the congested traffic back to his apartment, back home, where only Cavall II and his sister waited for him, but never before had he needed to be alone more in his life than now.


	24. Chapter 24

In terms of ‘taking it well’ on a scale of one to ten, Arthur was sitting at a very depressed 2. The only reason he hadn’t fallen to a 1 was that Gilgamesh hadn’t truly rejected him.

He wanted something to click? What did that mean? Well… he guessed he understood, everything ‘clicked’ for Arthur that night they had sex that he ended up… crying… ugh, what an ugly memory. That moment hadn’t happened for Gil yet, and he was waiting and ready for it. He guessed that doing his best wasn’t enough, or that there had to be some proof of his conviction that couldn’t come about through regular circumstances. Either way, he had to wait instead of pressing him, and even worse, he still had a job to do, so he had to bury these feelings whenever Gilgamesh came a-knockin’.

Artoria understood the situation, and while she didn’t exactly hate Gilgamesh for his decision, she was ride or die with her brother, being all he had left in the world, and that made her rightfully livid. As Arthur lay face-down in his bed, she flipped on the TV and pat his back, talking to him about how ‘it doesn’t matter how much money he has, he still doesn’t deserve you’ and ‘if he had any sense, he’d see how hard you were working.’

“What am I going to do when he comes back for… contract reasons?” Arthur asked weakly, tilting his head to the side of the pillow.

“If he has _any_ common sense, he’ll keep his distance, contract or no.”

Gilgamesh was smart, that much had been proven, but he was also thirsty as hell and in dire need of relaxation. With a pang of guilt, Arthur realized that by pseudo-confessing to him, he’d only put _more_ on his plate rather than remove any worries. Arthur really was the worst.

Artoria had taken additional time off to tend to him and postponed her trip back to Britain another week. She’d done it in part because someone had to chase Gil away whenever he waltzed back into his apartment and she considered herself fit for the task. Usually, he didn’t even knock and she’d left the chain on the door, just in case.

A few days later, her prediction bore fruit.

Caught off guard by the chain on the door, Gilgamesh called into the apartment. “Arthur? Are you—”

“He’s busy.” Artoria immediately appearing on the other side of it, motioning to pull the door closed, but Gilgamesh held it firmly in his grasp.

“Funny, I recall him saying I could call on him anytime without it being related to work now…”

“You damn well know why that’s not possible anymore.”

“Tell him his time off is up.”

“Tell him yourself.”

“He’s not answering his phone… surely he doesn’t want to break contract _again_.”

“You wouldn’t dare.”

“Oh, I would.”

“No you wouldn’t. You care about him too much to do that.”

Artoria could be so… irritatingly correct. Nonetheless, Gilgamesh did not let go of the door. “We can’t solve anything by not talking about it and ignoring my messages. Surely, you agree?”

Artoria sighed, forced the door closed, and he heard the sliding metal of the chain go slack. “But I’m going to be in the next room over, so you better not try anything funny—”

“Trust me, you’d be better off going on a walk,” Gilgamesh was confident in his ability to seduce aside from the very dampened mood. “But if you insist… I suppose I’m grateful Arthur has someone in his corner. He didn’t have anyone but me a little while ago.”

“So you’re still in his corner then?”

“Of course. Just because things are awkward between us doesn’t change that.”

Artoria rolled her eyes before knocking on Arthur’s door. “Get decent, he’s here,” was all she said.

There was the sound of scrambling and a few assorted noises, like his laptop shutting and Cavall barking, but eventually Arthur did indeed answer the door. He looked like a proper mess... like he wasn’t sleeping well and even his little cowlick didn’t seem to stay up like it always did. Everything about him was deflated, but from his demeanor, he was shoving it all down.

“Right, so, you’re here to—right…” He’d seen the messages on his phone but turned off his ‘read’ function. He opened the door and let Gilgamesh’s immaculate self in, in contrast to Arthur’s slightly stubbled, rumpled t-shirt look. Cavall squeezed out the door after Gilgamesh left it, his last line of defense. “Um, is there anything you want to do today…? I know I haven’t answered your messages, and I’m sorry, but I’ll do whatever it is you—”

“Arthur.”

He froze in his rambling to look at him, only to flit his gaze away a moment after. “Sorry…”

“Sit down.”

\--

Gilgamesh’s best-kept secret at this moment was that he cared and he was worried about Arthur, which was why he tore away from his busy schedule to be here. His insatiable appetite was also a factor, but as much as he reasoned ‘he owes it to me because of the contract’, he didn’t believe himself. Arthur hardly owed him anything when he gave him everything, and he needed to relax just as much as Gilgamesh did.

So he’d make him relax.

Gilgamesh sat next to him, noticing Arthur’s eyes were downcast and focusing off of him. He really was heartbroken, but that wasn’t Gilgamesh’s fault. He might’ve cared about Arthur, more than he should, but that didn’t mean he owed him an answer when he wasn’t sure, and surely Arthur must’ve understood that! Still, that made the whole fabricating a relationship thing awkward, and that also made what he was about to do awkward, but he was going to power through it anyway and hoped that they could bridge some boundaries through sex.

“Arthur,” He asked, quietly.

“… yes?”

“If you don’t want to do anything, tell me now. I’m not going to do this without your consent.”

“It’s fine,” Arthur seemed to be staring off into the distance, which gave Gilgamesh the distinct feeling he was one of his ‘other’ clients now, and he hated it.

“I want an enthusiastic ‘yes’.”

“You know I would never refuse you, I just—don’t know how much of your space I can take up without getting too close.”

“Don’t worry about that,” Gilgamesh whispered back. “Even if there might be some boundaries between us, the physical one has never been there. You’re free to do anything you want.”

Arthur looked his way, finally. “Are you sure…?”

Maybe working out his feelings on his body would be good for him, because if there was one way Gilgamesh would accept his love, it was physically. Gil nodded. “Kiss me, touch me, do whatever you like…” His hand was creeping down the middle of Arthur’s inner thigh as his lips brushed the side of his neck. He knew this was Arthur’s weakness, and he wanted to give him as much as he could—when had his goals been to keep him happy? Usually, Gil was content using people for his own gain. What changed? As his hand moved to firmly cup him, Arthur let out a sigh, and for a moment, Gilgamesh was sure he was going to tell him to stop.

He didn’t, though. He just closed his eyes and leaned back against Gilgamesh, who unzipped his pants and dipped his hand inside to pull out his dick. Something simple today, just to get them started… he remembered back during their first days together within the contract, and also in the theater… Arthur was fond of his hand, wasn’t he? He’d use just that, then. As he loosely began to stroke him, building up into a more solid pace, he pressed a gentle kiss into his neck, tasting acrid spots where Arthur had placed subtle cologne as the man beside him moaned.

“Feels good, doesn’t it?” He teased, knowing the two of them had been without touch for a while, feeling his own heat rush to his groin. God, Arthur was built with such a good physique, perfectly tailored to his own body, knowing time and effort into working out had all been for his sake to keep up appearances. He was built like a classic hero, even as his other hand wrapped around his waist to feel his muscles to confirm it. Arthur really was intoxicating, and if he let him know that he felt this way about him, he’d ask why he was waiting to give him an answer.

Physical lust (which he had an abhorrent abundance of) and emotional stakes (which were there, make no mistake) were not one in the same. If you asked him if there was anyone else he was romantically interested in, he’d say no, but that wasn’t the be-all-end-all of making a relationship work, but he wasn’t interested in this line of thought right now. All he wanted to do was feel Arthur’s heat on his hand as he grew steadily erect within his grasp, with his goading spurring him on. It took a bit longer than usual, no doubt due to Arthur’s emotional interference… but Arthur could only ignore Gilgamesh purring in his ear for so long before he succumbed to his whims, and Gilgamesh _liked_ having that power over him.

Resting his chin on the crook of Arthur’s shoulder, he watched himself work as Arthur no doubt appreciated the closeness, trying to forget their last meeting in lieu of remembering every touch from this one. Sometimes, he really was too easy to read. He was trying to get all he could from Gilgamesh’s touch, to convince himself there was affection there… well, worry not Arthur, there was. In truth, Gilgamesh could see himself accepting his affection with little repercussions, so why hadn’t he? He just had the feeling that if he said yes then, they’d break it off later, and he wanted it to last. He wanted this time with Arthur to matter, to last, and as Arthur moaned in his ear, he realized his pace had quickened too much, and if he kept going, he’d come in no time.

No matter. Come all you want, Arthur. It doesn’t matter if your sister is in the other room, there’s more where this came from.

Gilgamesh pushed Arthur onto his back as he leaned over his torso, working his hand up and down in order to finish the job. He might suck at blowjobs, no pun intended, but if there was one thing he prided himself on, it was his dexterity. He was so focused on his task that he hardly noticed Arthur’s grunts, saying to get out of the way, he was coming, so when he accidentally came straight onto his face, it was, needless to say, a surprise. Gil reeled back as if stung by a bee, but he kept his hand moving until Arthur finished.

“Thank god it only hit my face. If you messed up my clothes, I would have had to bill you, Arthur.” Gilgamesh sat up with dignity, reaching for the decorative handkerchief in his front pocket, as Arthur leaned in to kiss him before he could clean himself off. This man could be so damn _affectionate_, Gil thought as he kissed him back. He wasn’t complaining. There was solace in Arthur’s affection, and the fact that he wasn’t withholding it just because Gil had made things strange between them—or perhaps Arthur couldn’t help himself, knowing how he felt. Was this taking advantage of him? Of his feelings…?

Well, if _Gil_ didn’t know how he felt yet, it was all fair play, right? He didn’t intend on rejecting him unless he did something unforgivable, but it still all hung in the balance. After he cleaned his face off, he pushed Arthur back against the bed again to make out. Arthur really was using this opportunity for all it was worth. What had he said? ‘It’s a privilege to know you’. Of course it was, Gil scoffed, but what Arthur didn’t realize was the same went for him.

Such saccharine thoughts didn’t suit him, though, so he’d bury them between his thighs. Working Arthur back up for round two was never daunting, and hopefully, by now, Artoria had learned to give them some privacy and went to walk the dog or something.

\--

“Are you going to be okay?”

Long after his little session with Gilgamesh had ended, Arthur had taken Artoria back to the airport to catch her flight. She was still reluctant to go home, but not as reluctant as she was to get fired. Wealthy or not, she liked her job and wanted to keep it. Arthur gave her a sheepish smile. Sure, it was still painful, and Gilgamesh had underestimated just how painful it was, but at least it wasn’t going to get in the way of their transaction.

“I’ll be fine. Gil and I worked something out. It’s not what I want, but it’ll do for now.”

Artoria could sense the pain beneath that statement and gave her brother a hug. “Don’t let him give you shit. You’re worth so much more than that.”

“I’m not going to let him do anything that’ll hurt me, don’t worry.”

Somehow, Artoria didn’t believe him. After checking in her luggage, she went to the TSA, constantly looking back as Arthur watched the crowd fill in after her, giving small smiles and a tiny wave as she disappeared into the group. His lifeline now cut from him, it was all on his shoulders now.

Just… now what was he supposed to do?

\--

Arthur looked at his phone after Artoria went home.

-G: How are you feeling? I was a little rough this time around.

-A: I’m fine. You?

-G: Your services are invaluable. Thank you, Arthur. You really could have said no.

Could he? Arthur wasn’t sure. He wasn’t in a position to deny himself closeness with Gilgamesh. He wanted to be as near and dear to him as possible, and physical affection played into that. If he said no, he’d just be hurting himself, but in saying yes… was he still hurting himself?

-A: Don’t mention it.

-A: My door is always open.

-G: Hmmm…

-G: You know, my father’s condition has taken a turn for the worse.

-A: Oh no, really? I’m so sorry.

-G: It’s more… aggressive than they thought it was.

-G: Instead of months, we may have weeks.

Arthur could sympathize. Though his mother wasn’t sick so much as injured and lingering, he could understand that what the doctors said was never a comfort. It was always a matter of time, and that time growing shorter. He really did want to support Gilgamesh through this, no matter how distant Gil claimed to be from his father and how complicated their relationship was right now.

-A: You can always talk to me.

-G: You’re more than a stress toy, Arthur. I can confidently say you’re a friend.

-A: Ah. Thanks.

-G: I know you want to be more

-G: Just give me time.

-G: I can’t think with all this work on my plate and the idea of getting into a relationship.

-A: Don’t worry about me. Your dad’s dying, you’re inheriting a massive company…

-A: I don’t want to be at the forefront of your thoughts when my job is to help you relax.

-G: …

-G: I don’t want you thinking of it that way.

-G: Not as a job, like you said.

-G: Just as us, whatever we are.

That made Arthur’s heart skip a beat, and he was content with the idea that they could be just ‘them’ for as long as it took Gilgamesh to decide. If he didn’t want to think of it as a contract, neither would Arthur.

-A: Of course. Let me know if you ever need me.

That was the last message of the night. Arthur was still pretty uncertain, but at least Gil had patched up where his heart had broken previously. How was it he couldn’t stay mad at him? He wasn’t thoughtful so much as he was pragmatic. He always knew the right, reasonable thing to say. Arthur didn’t feel led on as much as he felt impatient, but then again, Artoria had said otherwise, and she was miles… miles smarter than him. Should he be mad?

No, he can’t be mad at someone with that much stress on their plate. He’d probably have told someone the same thing when his mum was dying.

As he drove home, he flipped on the radio, turning it to a news station before it became too depressing to keep listening to. At the very least, his wreck of a personal life had distracted him from how rough things had gotten in recent years, and that bit of selfishness had stopped him from observing the world around him. That was a piss-poor thing to do as a historian, and his colleagues at the museum would probably encourage him to focus on work.

Dropping in on the museum as a last-minute decision, he decided to walk amongst the ancient artifacts and art to help calm his mind. He adored history, he loved to see ancient chainmail from another era in Britain and being able to guess its era just by looking at it. He loved looking over old transcripts and documents and seeing just how people felt and thought at that time. His coworker, Paracelsus, had commended him for his knack at transcribing old documents, even if he was part of the science division of the museum. He remembered feeling flustered at just the thought. Dr. Jekyll, his supervisor, said that if he ever wanted a promotion to full time, he’d give his recommendation.

There was something nice about feeling at home in New York, with making these friends at work that made him feel less hopeless about his personal life. If these people knew he was an escort, they’d probably… well, who knew how they’d react? He’d keep that secret forever. Even his supervisor had things he’d never talk about, judging by how squirrely he could get whenever the news came on.

Arthur finished up, tipped the donation box generously, and went home. He wondered if Gilgamesh would be calling on him more or less after today, going off his text messages about his father.

Whatever it was, he’d be there for him, no matter how much it hurt.


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Arthur's playlist for Gil is real, and you can listen to it [here](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0daWoUQW8wq1pPVNicwFHU?si=KV5aSU8pQ36tL6FNtHipJA).

Nobody wants their deathbed to be in the hospital, but life was a great equalizer. Lugalbanda wanted to live, every inch of his body screamed for life and he wouldn’t deny himself even a week more to settle his affairs. That meant occupying a bed that had likely been the host for dozens of deaths before him.

Gilgamesh leaned against the wall, unaccustomed to the sight of his father in a hospital gown, looking so… weak. To think he’d perish like this was, well, _unthinkable_. He imagined his father would go to the grave after dropping dead in a Gucci suit because he felt like dressing down that day. He belonged at his desk, not simmering in a sea of IVs as doctors who were being paid handsomely tried to prolong the inevitable. Even now, he had his laptop at his bedside, settling affairs and sending emails when he could, but the illness was finally sapping all the strength he could muster.

At times like this, all you could do was talk and hope to distract them from the inevitable. The doctors working around the clock were prolonging his life, yes, but they could only do so much. Between the tangle of cords that connected his life to machines, he beckoned his son to come over.

The two talked business for a little while before the conversation veered on more personal things. He asked how things were with Arthur, and Gil said they were fine, but they had a lot of serious things on their plate right now, so things were tense. Maybe it was because he sensed his father would know he was lying if he said everything was peachy. His father seemed to understand, knowing that he was haunting the living just by being there. Suddenly, Gil got a text.

“… hm.”

“What is it, boy?”

“Arthur. He sent me a … playlist?”

Never one to pass up the opportunity to embarrass his son, his father spoke. “Play it. From your phone.”

“I haven’t even listened to it—”

“Do it.”

Knowing he couldn’t disobey a direct order, even if this was one of his weirder whims, Gilgamesh pressed play and turned up the volume. As the first song played while the two shared an awkward silence, Lugalbanda cracked a smile, then a wheezy laugh.

“Jesus, that’s so fucking—haa, haha—corny…”

It had been ages since he heard his father laugh, even before the sickness took him. It took Gilgamesh by surprise. He was surprised to find it infectious, chuckling to himself as he listened to the lyrics. They shared a moment, bonding over Arthur’s somewhat ham-handed picks in music. They were all love songs that were hilariously applicable to their life, and one could tell they were meticulously picked. Their laughter built until the point it hurt, and his father was happily cursing his name for the sting.

“That boy has no shame,” He grinned as the track reached its end. “Keep him.”

Gilgamesh would remember that.

\--

Two months had passed, and they were now finding themselves situated in the dead heat of August. Arthur hadn’t seen much of Gil, their meetings growing more and more infrequent. His father’s condition had deteriorated significantly, now no longer able to hold conversations in-between the pain. When Gil called upon Arthur, he really, truly needed him, and by that time, Arthur had grown used to waking up in the middle of the night to Gilgamesh opening the door and providing what he needed. Sometimes, midnight was the only time Gilgamesh could get away. It was lonely without him, but it gave Arthur some much-needed perspective.

Working at the museum had provided relief. Aside from doing his usual work archiving and managing artifacts, he hosted tours because all hands on deck had to do them at some point. It was like a rite of initiation, and he was grateful none of his former customers had turned up on any tours he’d run. Keeping secrets from his coworkers was hard—mainly because they were so damn nice. Jekyll, in particular, was very kind to him. He brought coffee and snacks to the small staff office every day, and Arthur had lately started returning the favor.

“So I can’t help but notice…” Jekyll said, one day. “That you appear in news articles on google.”

“Oh—” Arthur chuckled. “Yeah, my boyfriend, he’s—”

“The heir to a wealthy businessman. You definitely know how to pick them, Arthur.”

“He’s nicer than any rumor would lead you to believe. Really, I’m very grateful for him…”

“I’m assuming that’s why your apartment is so nice? We don’t exactly pay you well enough for downtown Brooklyn here.” Jekyll had been by once to check out the painting Gil had purchased at auction, skirting around the notion of Arthur donating it to a local art museum. Arthur politely said that his boyfriend probably wanted it still in the house.

“Yeah, he… pays for it.”

“He’s like a sugar daddy, then?”

Arthur sputtered. “More like he doesn’t want to be seen in a bad part of town—ahh, that’s not fair to him. He’s done so much for me.”

“You must really love him,” Jekyll stretched his arms, sitting at his desk. “May I offer a polite suggestion? Ask him to donate his excess wealth to deserving charities. There’s a lot that a billionaire could do if they just decided to live humbly.”

“Haaa… yeah, if I’m ever in the position to ask him, I’ll make the suggestion.” He didn’t see Gil giving up his lavish lifestyle anytime soon, though. Still, a billion dollars was an unfathomable sum, and Gilgamesh really didn’t need that much money. He’d be just as comfortable being a multi-millionaire, but… really, money wasn’t on Arthur’s mind right now. He was worried about Gil’s father.

He’d heard that he was still talking, but he’d wasted away to almost nothing. Gil didn’t even like visiting the hospital anymore, nor could he really afford to, now that he’d essentially taken on his father’s job. Arthur had paid visits to the office, but none of those visits were really ‘get under the desk and relieve my stress’ visits, they were stressful talking visits where Arthur tried to listen to the business jargon Gilgamesh talked about and kept up a conversation that was mostly one-sided. Still, he kept Artoria’s words in his mind. Be there for him. Sometimes showing up was all that was needed.

As he relaxed on Gil’s sofa, he listened to Gilgamesh’s aggressive typing on his desktop’s keyboard and the triumphant sound of hitting ‘enter’ a little too loudly as he relaxed back in his chair, as if to say ‘that’s it, I’m done for the day’. He got up from his seat and collapsed on the sofa next to Arthur, using his lap as a pillow.

“Siduri, Enkidu… they’re all working twice as hard to make this transition go as smoothly as possible.” He took Arthur’s hand and placed it on his head as if he were a demanding cat and as if to say ‘here, play with my hair’. “We’ve basically made the entire shift by now, it’s just waiting for the ball to drop, so to speak.”

“I know how that is.”

“Yeah?”

“When Mum was in the hospital, we were all pulling for her to get better, but she’d been so grievously injured that there was no certainty. The longer she was in there, the less hope we had, but she kept fighting because she didn’t want to leave us behind. I bet your father feels the same way.”

“He’s already too far gone…” As Arthur played with his hair, Gilgamesh quietly continued. “There’s no bouncing back from where he is now. He has dialysis constantly and it’s not making anything better. And…”

Arthur was content to listen to him, sensing that Gilgamesh cared more about his father than he let on. He did talk about how he taught him everything he knew, how he could be a hard-ass but still was clever, intelligent, and passed on all of that wisdom. He might’ve been distant, he might’ve shown how much he loved him with money instead of… well, hugs, but losing a parent, no matter how close you were to them or not, was a painful ordeal of learning the limits of mortality. It was a reminder that everything came to an end, sooner or later.

“Do you want to come to work with me?”

“At the museum?” Gilgamesh glanced up at him.

“Yeah, you like ancient history, why not give you a behind the scenes tour? My boss would let me, I’m sure.”

Anything felt better than working on endless documents and dealing with people who were vying for his spot in the company, despite his father’s clear and obvious wishes for him to take over. Gilgamesh sat back up and straightened his hair where Arthur had played with it.

“Sounds good to me. I’ll let you drive.”

\--

Jekyll wasn’t too keen on letting someone into the back rooms of the museum, but when Gilgamesh wrote a check and stuffed it in the donation box, he decided to let it slide. There were private tours for generous patrons, after all. As Arthur lead him to an Ancient Egyptian exhibit that was getting ready for the public, he passed Gilgamesh a pair of rubber gloves.

“You’re going to let me touch the exhibit?” He sounded impressed.

“Well… so long as you don’t touch the little things, it’s fine. We study the things we get in here, after all.”

As they walked between stone carvings and statues that had been carefully imported to New York, Gilgamesh admired his surroundings with a curator’s eye. He took full advantage of the gloves on his hands to graze his fingertips over hieroglyphs and trying to remember from his time in school what they meant. As Arthur watched him, entranced with the timeless art in front of him, he talked about the exhibit, about where each piece came from and the era it originated in as Gilgamesh listened, fascinated. Occasionally, he’d ask a question or two and Arthur would answer it like a pro. Arthur leaned against a stone sarcophagus, thankfully empty, as he continued to talk.

“You know, the one you’re touching right there was from Ptolemy’s—Gil--?”

He’d stood up from the spot he was carefully examining and instead, turned his attention to Arthur somewhat hungrily. Resting his hands on the edge on either side of him, Gilgamesh dipped in for a quick kiss. When his thigh wedged between Arthur’s groin, the other man muttered: “You simply cannot be serious.”

“Why not?”

“Cameras! And we’re right next to a thousand-year's-old sarcophagus. I shouldn’t even be touching it, you—“

“I don’t mind an audience.”

Arthur pushed him off gently. “No. There are better places. Besides, we might get cursed or something if we do _anything_ here.”

“I never took you for the superstitious type.”

“I’m not! Well… not _really_. You learn some things in the trade that can really make you think…”

Gilgamesh wasn’t paying close attention, anyway, he was focusing on Arthur. “What do you think it’d be like if we were born back then?”

“I… think you’d be a king, probably. All of the power, status, and lineage…”

“I think you would be, too.”

Arthur looked surprised. “What? Really? I would probably be a commoner or something.”

“Just call it a hunch.” Gilgamesh finally backed up off of Arthur when he heard footsteps passing through the corridor—just Jekyll, as usual. It didn’t change the fact that he’d love to make out in a hall of valuable artifacts, leaving his fingerprints all over them, but it wouldn’t happen today. Besides, there was still a lot on his mind that dampened the mood.

“I’m… going to visit my father tonight.”

“… do you want me to come with?”

“No, it’s okay.”

“Are you sure…? I haven’t visited in weeks,” Arthur pressed gently. His father had barely spoken the last time Arthur was there, he couldn’t imagine the state he was in now.

“I’m sure. It’s going to be a family thing.”

Arthur sensed the urgency in his voice and knew what it meant. “Call me if you need me, alright?”

“Right.”

\--

It was quiet uptown, or at least quiet for New York.

Cavall II was now almost fully grown, it would take a year for him to fill out completely, but he was always a big puppy to begin with. As Arthur walked down the busy sidewalks and as his dog expertly navigated between people, his mind started to wander.

Things between him and Gilgamesh had mostly gone back to normal. He’d quietly hid his feelings for him, despite having so many of them it felt like they were going to burst, and Gilgamesh worked tirelessly until he needed to have some form of relief. His lock screen was still him sleeping with Cavall under his arm, a picture Arthur had grown to cherish, not changing it even when Gil had seen it and demanded he did. He had to have every piece of him that he could, and when this was all over… he’d see how he felt then. The patience was testing, but it was manageable.

This was the part of town with the love hotel, so as Arthur walked by, he saw familiar faces going about their lives. Who knew these people, who lead such an extreme lifestyle, could go to the cleaners to pick up outfits that had been stained in god-knows-what, or get off a shift to go to the nearby Chinese restaurant that all of them liked and raved about to each other to eat? It was such a contrast to the services they provided, the lives they lead. To be so ordinary and so illicit at the same time.

He saw the secretary that had drafted his contract and gave her a small wave as she stood in line for a café. She was naturally surprised to see him but waved back. Knowing these people felt like living in a secret society that the real world had nothing to do with.

He wondered how Gil was doing.

Gil, who had been the epitome of strength during this, working as if nothing was going wrong, not arguing or fighting with the people who wanted his position, not stooping so low as to get more out of it. He may put up a front, but he really did care about his family, if only secretly, and only in ways he deemed appropriate to express. Arthur wanted to be there for him, and thankfully, Gil considered him enough of a friend to let him.

What was the ‘click’ though?

What was Gilgamesh waiting for?

Arthur hadn’t pressed him for an answer since their time together last, but he was aching for one. As much as he’d played down his feelings recently, they’d grown since. He respected this man so much, rich brat that he was, who worked so hard and under such difficult circumstances… he just wondered if Gil saw him the same way, or if he saw Arthur as too simple. Too distant.

His phone rang, it was Gil’s number.

He fumbled with Cavall’s leash to answer it. “Hello?”

“Arthur?”

“Yes? What’s up, Gil?”

“He’s gone.”

\--

He’d been in the room when it happened, with his mother, when his father flatlined.

They’d stepped to the side as doctors tried to revive him, but Gil had known from the look on his father’s face hours ago that he was tired of this, tired of the IVs and the needles in his arms and the wasting away. It was as if, willful as the old bastard was, he had basically urged himself into dying.

His last words had been to his wife, not Gil, and Gil hadn’t overheard them. All of a sudden, as the doctor called the time of death and his mother clung to him in tears, the weight of the world and all the responsibilities of a would-be king came crashing down onto him. He stood strong, like it was inevitable, and he could tolerate it, because he could--he’d gotten used to it the moment his father was in the hospital. There were people to contact now, arrangements to be made, as the sheet was pulled above his father’s face and they wheeled in the gurney. Realistically, he should be calling Siduri in order to distribute the message.

He called Arthur instead. He wasn’t sure why. Maybe it was because Arthur was his go-to for comfort, not business. He was staring blankly at the hospital wall as he spoke, listening to Arthur pause and try to find a private place to speak over the phone.

“I’m so sorry, Gilgamesh,” was the first thing Arthur responded with. “How are you taking it?”

How _should_ he be taking it? He has arrangements to make and a company to take over. He’s not sure why the feeling inside of him is just a void now, as if he’d prepared for this and when the time came for feelings, he came up dry. “I don’t know. Can I come over tonight? A lot of people will be asking for me, and I just want to be alone.”

Arthur understood. “I’ll be home in a half-hour. I’ll meet you there.”

\--

Gilgamesh had helped himself to the alcohol in Arthur’s cabinet by the time he got home. An amaretto sour, nostalgic as the drink was.

Arthur let Cavall off of his harness and immediately walked over to him, sitting down next to him and putting his arm around his shoulders. Gil didn’t react, he just took a sip of his drink and set it down on the coffee table.

“I’ll have to make funeral preparations,” He said, quietly. “We have everything planned, it’s just…”

“I get it. I know.”

“Will you be there, Arthur?”

“Of course.”

Silence flooded the room after that, Arthur gently rubbing his shoulder, Gil occasionally lifting his drink but not taking a sip. Sometimes words didn’t work or didn’t need to. Sometimes silence was a comfort and said everything. From one orphan to a person with one less parent, everything was understood in the quiet between them.


	26. Chapter 26

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **warning:** If you are sensitive to funerals, this may not be the chapter for you.

Arthur didn’t see much of Gil those coming few days.

Instead of being afforded the time to mourn, he had press conferences to deal with, his father’s will to attend to, and a whole slew of tasks that weren’t easy or brief. Arthur texted him constantly, just to let him know he was there, but Gilgamesh’s responses were few and far between. He’d only made it over to his apartment once, a couple of nights before the wake. He was worn out, and it was visible in print, on every newspaper that showed candid photographs of him. Everyone wanted to know where all that money was going, and public pressure was on.

For one night, he just wanted to drink with Arthur.

He didn’t want to talk about it, though. The death in the family, the surrounding media, the newspapers, and the paparazzi. He just waited as Arthur mixed his drink for him and pet Cavall, now realizing what a comfort animals could be when they could catch the scent of stress on you. This furball had made it so that he had to carry a lint roller wherever he went with him, yet he’d grown up into a good dog. He tried out a few of his tricks, sit, roll over, but found himself hesitating childishly when it was time to tell him to play dead.

“Here,” Arthur passed him a drink, something strong tonight, and Gilgamesh accepted. “Is everything taken care of?”

“Mostly. No one would bat an eye or blame me if I checked out entirely for the next couple of weeks… but.”

Arthur could read between the lines. ‘That’s not what my father would have done’. He sat next to him, wondering if there was anything he could offer beyond idle chatter. His own glass filled with water in case he had to drive Gilgamesh home that night, his hand drifted over to Gil’s back and rubbed it gently. This was probably the limit of physical contact he needed right now, no mood dourer than this.

“How did you handle it, Arthur?” Arthur realized Gil no longer called him ‘Pendragon’ anymore. “I understand you were closer to your parents.”

“I… there’s nothing you really can do. You make the funeral arrangements, you stand by the casket, you accept people’s tears and well-wishes… and most of all, you just keep living.”

It wasn’t as if Gil had any other intentions, but hearing it out loud made it seem less messy than it felt. Than it really was. He wasn’t processing his own emotions on the matter yet, it didn’t feel like his father had gone anywhere. A weird thought crossed his mind—it felt like his father had gone to space and was due for his shuttle to land back on the ground in the next few months. Like he was gone, somewhere Gil could never follow, but he’d be back eventually.

The sense of permanence hadn’t sunk in yet.

The TV was just a stressful reminder that the world was moving on around them, speculating what would happen now that the spotlight was entirely on Gil. Arthur felt his hair stand up on his neck knowing that he _too_ would be in the spotlight more often, or at least as long as Gil held on to their relationship. Now, all of Gil’s preparations at the beginning of their relationship made sense—he’d have to dress well, live somewhere upscale, and drive something nice for people not to get suspicious. He’d even been mentioned in Gilgamesh’s Wikipedia article, but thankfully as a red link.

“My father left a fortune to his favorite charity. I think we might not even be billionaires anymore.”

Huh. It seemed like Jekyll’s wish came true. “That’s very generous of him...”

“It won’t change my lifestyle any, it’ll just take me off of some Forbes list. I don’t really care.”

For someone who could spend money faster than he could bleed if he were stabbed, unusual words. Maybe Gilgamesh was just past the point of caring about anything right now? Arthur wanted to offer some kind of solace but felt confined in doing so, as he could only offer his body, and that wasn’t enough, but he listened to his gut and leaned back. Like it was only natural, Gilgamesh stretched across Arthur’s lap, lounging as he pondered the unimaginable.

“I feel like the world has fallen into my lap,” He said, finally.

“It pretty much has,” Arthur realized the words weren’t comforting and followed: “But you can do with it whatever you wish. Isn’t that the beauty of it? You’re in a position where you can help people, unrestrained.”

“…” Gilgamesh didn’t think of himself as that unselfish. After all, had Arthur not called him a rich brat before? No… don’t think about that. They were beyond that now, wherever they were. They were beyond the contract breaking, too. Gilgamesh could finally put it behind him.

“The wake will be closed to friends and family—friends including business partners, too, couldn’t just leave them out.” The more Gilgamesh talked about it, the more Arthur got the impression he just wanted it done with. This formality was a pain. “How did you feel when it was all over?”

“To be honest… it never felt like it was over until I stopped thinking about it every day. Soon it was every other day. Like, I’d obviously constantly remember my childhood and things that reminded me of my parents, but the tragedy, the deaths themselves, it took time, and only time.”

“I imagine that’ll be the same for me.”

“It might. If you hang on to the good memories, though… they’ll eventually start drowning out the rest.”

\--

Arthur wore his Sunday best to the wake on Friday, the last week of August.

The overwhelming scent of lilies was enough to make someone gag. That was the first thing that met him when he walked into the parlor. Flowers, everywhere, as if it were a competition to send the most luxurious and meaningful bouquet, but all it did was choke the hall with a perfume that felt overbearing at best. The note had said to make a charitable donation instead of flowers, but it looked like everyone had done both. Arthur signed the guestbook and went in.

Artoria had texted him the night before, asking if he needed her there, since the last time they’d been at a wake, it had been their mother’s. He told her it was fine, that he’d do his best. He just had to be there for Gil, and that’s exactly what he’d do.

Arthur had gotten there early, at eight o'clock sharp, but people were already filling in to pay their respects. Gil was beside his father’s closed casket as he took their sympathies, as his mother sat in a chair by his side, dressed from head to toe in black. He knew that this part was important, that he couldn’t tear Gil away from this—it was a family’s duty. Instead, he sought out Gil’s friends, the twins. They were looking over the flowers, making sure they were arranged nicely and checking out who they came from.

“Hey,” Arthur greeted them quietly. They were the only people here he knew aside from Gil, and it made for a somewhat awkward second meeting.

“Oh, Arthur,” Enkidu smiled back at him and held their arms for a hug. Arthur gave his condolences as he hugged back, remarking about how they must have known him better than Arthur did.

“Not that much better, but him being our boss certainly helped. He was fond of us,” Enkidu patted his back before letting go. “Have you seen Gil yet?”

“No, I… I know how this goes, he needs to handle all those people without me interrupting him.”

“Really? I think he’d appreciate your presence in a little bit. In the meantime, would you help us with these flowers?”

Arthur helped haul in more, arranging them on little tables seated between chairs as more and more people came in. For a wake only open to friends and family members, it was an enormous amount of people, but for that many, he realized few were crying. He wondered how many people were here to show their respects and how many were here as a business statement, to scope out the new competition at their weakest. Arthur cursed himself for thinking this way, but Gil had said as much himself.

It seemed like he would never get a moment alone with Gil, but to his surprise, the man gestured to him to come stand next to him as he took greetings.

“How are you holding up?”

“Fine,” He said quietly. “It feels like I’ve been standing forever.”

“Come sit. They can shake your hand from the sofa—”

“Strength is everything. I’ll just keep standing.”

The room was now flooded with people occupying every single seat and forming a line to the casket, and Arthur could truly appreciate how many people he’d impacted. As Gil whispered to him names of the people who’d just passed them by, and how they worked with his father, more and more people took up his time, but Arthur stood by his side the whole while.

This went on for hours. The portrait of his father at his healthiest that stood beside the flower arrangements was such a contrast to the man when Arthur had seen him last. He really did look invincible. Just because he could understand what Gil was going through didn’t mean he understood Gil’s perspective entirely, if he was just putting up a front or if he really hadn’t felt anything come crashing down yet—but if there was one thing Arthur understood, it was that it would, and soon.

Towards the evening, the numbers thinned out and the room was still filled with chattering individuals, talking about his father’s life or about their own business ventures as if this were some kind of public outing, a day off where they could take advantage of such an opportunity. Arthur had noticed the subtle trading of business cards between people and thought about how angry he would’ve been if this were at his own parent’s funeral, but for Gilgamesh, it was par the course.

Soon, it was nine o'clock, the official end of the wake.

People left the room in droves, some paying their last respects to the grieving family before leaving, leaving Gil, Arthur, Ninsun, Enkidu, Siduri, and Kingu as the last ones there. Siduri was helping the funeral director with something, seemingly taking on the tasks that the family couldn’t handle right now. Gilgamesh’s expression was unreadable. Arthur could tell, though, that the weight he was carefully juggling was at its limit. He approached the kneeling bench and placed his hands on it, almost reaching out to touch the casket before his hand flinched away as if he wanted to see his father one last time.

“How did you do it, Arthur?” He asked, quietly. Arthur lifted his gaze towards him. “You lost them both. Does it really get any better?”

“… ‘better’ when you lose someone isn’t really the right word,” Arthur began. “It’s not a matter of getting ‘better’. It’s just a matter of living more comfortably with their memories because they’ll never leave you.”

Arthur watched as he took a knee beside the casket, burying his face in his arm on the kneeling bench, the telltale sign of tears starting to wrack his body. He didn’t make a sound, but Arthur immediately went over to him with a box of tissues and began to pass them to him, silently. Enkidu and Kingu moved to Gilgamesh’s other side, patting his back as he finally felt the world and everything on it crash around him, and then it felt like the tears would never _stop_. His mother helplessly watched as her son took on the burden his father left behind, but more importantly, took on the burden of losing his father entirely.

Arthur said nothing, he just passed the tissues when he needed them, rubbing his shoulder when he wasn’t. Arthur understood that crushing moment when you were finally on your own in this world, and he wanted Gilgamesh to realize he wasn’t alone. Finally, Gilgamesh stood up from the bench, pat the casket once, and said: “Goodbye, old man.” Arthur rubbed his arm, knowing for right now, the silence was best.

Gilgamesh looked up at him, eyes red, his face wet from pressing into his sleeve.

It clicked.

\--

The funeral was no less difficult, but Gilgamesh had regained his composure.

He’d given a speech at the altar, about his father’s accomplishments and about the work his father had done for the better of the world. He said it knowing television crews were outside the church waiting to film the final journey to the cemetery. He was going to enter a life with no privacy, where all of his secrets would be overturned for the gain and entertainment of others unless he lived like a hermit. He was ready to face it, but he was feeling no stronger than the night before. He would take Arthur’s advice and accept that this wasn’t really going to get ‘better’ as much as it would fade into his memories.

At least he had Arthur and his friends. Thank god for them.

At least everything would go back to normal the next day.

As he carried the heavy weight of the casket on his shoulder with the rest of his pallbearers, nothing had ever felt heavier. He almost felt the others weren’t pulling their own weight, but he realized it was because he was carrying his father. His father, who had probably carried him when he was younger. It’s funny how the tables turn right at the very end, except not really.

The flash of cameras stirred his anger, but everything was leaving him on edge. He could tell it bothered his mother, too, to overhear a news anchor try to cover the funeral in front of a camera crew, talking about how the heir was going to take over everything from here on out. As soon as the hearse began to pull away, Arthur offered to drive Gilgamesh in the procession to the cemetery.

“I… yeah, thank you,” He seemed dazed. Arthur couldn’t blame him. As they piled into his car and the procession sticker was placed on his windshield.

“I’m here, Gil. If you need anything at all.”

“I know. Arthur, I--”

“…?”

“… never mind.”

They drove in silence to his father’s final resting place, just as a sprinkling of rain began to fall. Not enough to drench the ground, but just enough to reflect his mood. The final rites were spoken, their family and friends starting to scatter as Gilgamesh just sat in the small folding chair, Arthur by his side. His mother was sniffling on the other side of him, and he’d realized he’d neglected her this entire time.

“Arthur, I’m going to take my mother home. I think we need to… talk about things.”

“Of course. Gilgamesh?”

“Yes?”

“I’m just a phone call away.”

Just saying that was like a pinprick in his heart. “Right.”

He helped his mother up from her seat and lead her to their car, as Arthur watched him walk over uneven ground, not taking a single look back. Arthur wished he could do more, he really did.

He headed back to his car and drove home.

\--

Gilgamesh took his place beside his mother in their house that now felt a little emptier, pouring over photographs in albums. Pictures taken on vacation where they all looked a little younger, before Gil’s innocent smile had turned into its usual half-smug appearance. They talked for hours about his father, about the trips to Easter Island and the Coliseum in Rome. His mother really did love him and was worse off now that he was gone. It didn’t matter that all of their money went to their son, and there was no competition over what went where in the will. They just wanted to recover.

“Gil…” His mother began, quietly. “You really do love Arthur, don’t you?”

“I do,” and now he could answer honestly.

“I think he’s a good man.”

“He is.”

“Bring him over sometime, will you?” She smiled weakly. “I want to get to know him a little better.”

“I will.”

His two-note answers were all he could muster right now. It was hard to think about Arthur when his father weighed at the forefront of his mind. All he knew was that he finally saw him for who he really was—someone without judgment in his weakest moments. Someone who, without needing to ask, gave him what he needed at the right time.

The next day, he’d pay a visit to Arthur’s apartment.

“Oh… hey,” Arthur smiled weakly as he opened the door. Gil was dressed down considerably, in a simple shirt with a designer logo and some jeans.

“I’m taking a week off work,” He said, finally. “I figured I needed it.”

“Good, come in. You really need it.”

As Gil knelt down to pet Cavall, he wondered when would be the right time to tell Arthur. Now definitely wasn’t, but… he’d kept him waiting for over two months by now, didn’t he? Arthur’s contract was going to be up soon, too. He toyed with the idea of talking with him to extend it, but… that would just be treating Arthur as goods instead of a person. He wanted him of his own volition, not because he paid him. He was finally starting to understand that much.

Arthur, instead of going to the alcohol cabinet, prepared him some tea. Even in the sweltering months, it felt good to drink something warm. Arthur sat by his side on the sofa like he had a few days ago, rubbing his back.

“I think I’ll stay here for a few nights.”

“Oh. To…?”

“No, just because I like it here.” He said quietly. “It’s… comforting.”

They watched television into the evening, scrolling on their phones and relaxing in one another’s company. When it came time for bed, Arthur had already fallen asleep on the couch. Instead of nudging him to wake up and go with him properly, Gilgamesh found himself climbing over Arthur and settling in on his chest, ignoring the lamplight next to them as he tried to sleep, listening to his heartbeat.


	27. Chapter 27

Time would continue marching on.

It wasn’t up to Gil to do anything about that. As he returned to work, there was so much to be done that he had barely a moment to wait and mourn. He’d spent the last week with Arthur, chilling quietly at his place, trapped between the rock and hard place of his thoughts about his family and his thoughts about Arthur.

Really, it would be as simple as texting him ‘I return your feelings.’ There would be no need for any more fuss than that, and he sensed he was making Arthur impatient anyway. Still, there was a time and a place for it, and if his father had known the ruse before he’d passed away, he would tell him to man up and tell him the truth. Gil was a perfectionist, though, and just telling him wouldn’t do. If he did this, he was going to do it right, lovingly crafted for just the right moment. He wasn’t planning a spectacle or anything, he just wanted to wait for a good time.

Arthur, meanwhile, had shoved those feelings away to let Gilgamesh grieve. He was constantly texting him, and even at work, the familiar buzz of his phone would prompt him to drop everything for a moment and text back. Gilgamesh, in truth, needed a lot more time off, but he was reluctant to push everything onto his friends while he traipsed off with Arthur for a while. Thus, for September, the two were distant until Gilgamesh texted him on the 12th.

-G: How are you spending your birthday, Arthur?

He hadn’t thought about it, honestly. It was too late to head back to Britain and celebrate there with his sister, but it wasn’t like he was going to bother Gil about it, either.

-A: I have no plans.

-G: Let’s go out. Just you and me.

-G: I’m done with my trip to France, so let’s go somewhere you’d like.

Arthur desperately wanted to ask if it were a date but knew better. The mood wasn’t right yet. Little did he know, Gilgamesh would have no objections to calling it one.

\--

There would be no clubbing. The two had such a sordid history with it that it felt like walking straight into trouble. Instead, they chose a restaurant on the other side of town just to make conversation. Gilgamesh had low-key agonized over what to get Arthur when the man could buy himself anything he wanted—a problem they now mutually shared. Knowing Arthur, he’d say just spending time with him would be enough, that romantic bastard. Still, he showed up to the restaurant with a simple box wrapped in a ribbon.

Arthur hadn’t expected anything when Gil already did so much—or maybe he expected something ludicrously extravagant, like a new car, just because Gil was that extra and not necessarily because he wanted it. Before they were seated at their table, Arthur gave him a kiss on the corner of his lips and asked him how he’d been holding up, and for the first time in a long while, Gil felt heat rise on his face.

“It’s better. Not the best, but better.” Gil hadn’t broken down since like he did at the wake, but that was mostly because work was keeping him so busy that he scarcely had time to think about anything. It was refreshing, the way he could speak honestly with Arthur and tell him how he really felt instead of shrugging it all off immaculately. Arthur had noticed the subtle change in him since then, like he’d grown… not humbler, but something like that.

“We can talk about it, if you like.”

“I’d rather talk about you.”

“Oh…” As they were seated at their table, Arthur wondered if Gil wanted to know because he seriously needed the distraction. “Well, the Egyptian exhibit opened up at the museum, and you’ll never guess who I met there—”

“Oh? Who.”

“Ozymandias! He was basically the first one there and the last one to leave that night,” Arthur struggled to word his next question. “Ozymandias, is he…”

“What?”

“Polygamous? I saw him with a wife and a man who he seemed to treat equally close.”

“Oh, that would be Arash. You could say that. It’s a little complicated, but they make it work.”

Arthur went on to talk about the museum, how well it had been doing lately and how his coworkers had been treating him so nicely. Gilgamesh neglected to mention that a few months before his death, his father had sent a letter of recommendation to the museum without Arthur’s knowhow. It was probably the reason Arthur had risen in the ranks so quickly, but Gilgamesh wasn’t about to discredit Arthur’s work, either. He seemed so invested, so happy to finally put his degree to work. It was adorable.

“I’m just glad I didn’t go to college for nothing, honestly. I never imagined I would be working with such top tier historians and curators.” Arthur seemed cheery, and his mood was infectious. To be able to do something he loved… did Gilgamesh love his work, or was his work just necessary? He wasn’t jealous of Arthur or anything, he just wondered if he was a common person like him, if he still would have clawed his way up in the business world.

Some part of him was like _‘tell him, tell him now, make him yours’_, but the other part seemed hesitant as if the time between them that had passed had made it so that Arthur’s feelings had dulled. He felt like he needed to build up the passion between them again, make the moment perfect. Instead, he passed Arthur the little box and simply said ‘Happy Birthday’ as their drinks were brought to them.

Arthur looked at the box curiously before sliding off the blue ribbon and opening it. Inside were two plane tickets, dated to depart the next day. Arthur smiled softly—Gil had only been back to work for one week, but he was ready to take a vacation with him.

“Italy.”

“I take it you’ve never been?”

“I haven’t… though I’ve always wanted to.”

Gilgamesh’s game plan was this: take him around Italy, show him all the historical haunts and fine dining, then pick a place to tell him he’d finally welcomed him into his heart. It was foolproof. He’d even gotten tickets on a commercial airline, remembering Arthur’s distaste with the private jet. Feeling rather proud of himself, he watched Arthur’s reaction carefully. It was just as he’d hoped—Arthur looked thrilled.

“I’ll have to put in vacation days tonight… maybe I’ll just text Jekyll and let him know. Thank you so much! Are we going to wing it? Or do you have everything--”

“—planned? Of course I do. Down to my luggage already packed. After this, we’ll need to head back to your apartment and do the same for you.”

Arthur leaned across the table to kiss his cheek, but Gil surprised him by turning his head at the last minute to steal a kiss properly from him. Arthur let out a breathless laugh, charmed by his antics, and Gil just thought to himself how freaking cute Arthur could be. Definitely a ray of sunshine in what was now a bleak time in his life. The two chatted over dinner, Gilgamesh confessing how difficult he didn’t anticipate life to be following the funeral, Arthur offering his condolences and relating to him with his own experiences. It was somber but full of relief to get it off one’s chest.

Not long after, they stopped by Arthur’s apartment to pick up Cavall II and take him to the local kennel that Arthur swore by for these sudden trips Gilgamesh tended to take him on. After that, it was back to the apartment to pack. When Gilgamesh had furnished his apartment, he’d gotten him a set of luggage with the specific intent to drag him across the world with him. Back then, he was still getting a feel for Arthur’s personality, when he was a touch pricklier with him. It felt like their trip to Fiji was forever ago, but really it had only happened on the cusp of spring. He’d make this one more memorable.

As Arthur packed, Gilgamesh leaned against the edge of the closet, taking in the sight of Arthur bending down to pack things in his suitcase over… and over… and over again. Okay, fuck it. He may not confess here, but he could still get a piece of action. As Arthur leaned down to pick up one last thing, Gilgamesh approached him from behind and bumped his hips into Arthur’s rear, hands sliding along his waist as Arthur stood back up in shock.

“You could stay down there, you know,” Gilgamesh purred, “Let me do the work for once.”

“It’s been a while…” Arthur admitted, quietly. “You sure?”

“I’m sure. You’re basically done anyway, right?”

“Right… though we’re going to get up at—mmph—”

Gilgamesh tilted his head towards him for a kiss, spinning him around so he faced him. He wanted to silence his worries. They’d get to the airport on time, and there was always time to sleep on the plane. Gilgamesh pulled Arthur out of the closet and back into their shared bedroom, which felt untouched for the longest time. Wanting to forget his worries for at least a little bit, Gil climbed up over Arthur, planting his arm above his head and grazing his lips along his collar bone.

It felt good to take charge for once, mostly because Arthur wasn’t sure how to handle this sudden burst of affection at all; he had anticipated keeping his distance for a while, and yet, Gilgamesh had needed it all the same.

“Don’t… give me hickies somewhere people can see—”

“Since when were you embarrassed over something like that?” Gil teased.

“Since we’re going overseas!”

Gilgamesh focused his efforts on his collarbone and sighed. “Guess you’ll be wearing high-necked shirts while we’re there.”

“Gil…!” But still, Arthur’s tone was jovial. He was happy to accept Gilgamesh’s affection, happy to see him in high enough spirits to give affection. They didn’t get very far that night before sleep took them, but there was enough that Gil had suddenly gotten a taste for Arthur that assured him, they’d definitely be keeping up whatever hotel neighbors they had. Here’s to hoping they soundproofed the walls well.

Before they left, Gilgamesh snuck a bottle of lube into Arthur’s luggage. Just in case.

\--

Arthur snoozed peacefully on the plane next to him as Gilgamesh had time to think.

They’d be staying in Rome, for the most part. He intended to watch Arthur geek out about their surroundings, to hear the history from the historian himself. Then, he’d pick a nice spot on a quiet night… and tell Arthur that he reciprocated his feelings. He’d tell him that he finally felt safe being vulnerable around him and that he knew Arthur would be there no matter what. He was finally ready to put water under the bridge with his past mistakes. It wasn’t like he was proposing, don’t get him wrong— but with as many ups and downs their relationship had, it merited something special.

He focused on Arthur’s sleeping face for a few moments and found himself resisting the urge to wake him with a kiss, but he did keep him up for a while last night. Plus, the crowded airplane was probably a little too much for Arthur’s taste. He decided to focus on a book for the most part.

… except he kept stealing glances at him every now and then. God, he couldn’t wait to get this over with, then he could go back to normal and not wonder what Arthur was thinking every minute of the day.

\--

Arthur wasn’t sure what to expect in Italy, but he wasn't surprised to hear Gilgamesh speak fluent Italian, either. He hailed a taxi and spoke to the driver as they drove off to their hotel, completely unaware he’d taken Arthur by surprise. It was kind of nice to hear such a romantic language come out of his mouth.

“Gil?”

“Yeah?”

“What languages do you speak?”

“I… hm,” He had to take a moment to think. “English, Japanese, French, a little Korean, enough Italian to get me by, some German… it’s mostly those first three. French was as a hobby, Japanese because we’re big in Japan, so it was something of a necessity. I don’t like relying on translators, so I try to pick up what I can, where I can.”

“Is it a hobby?”

“Not really, I just like staying sharp.”

“Could you teach me some?”

“You’ll only need the basics in Italy. _Grazie_, thank you. _Prego_, you’re welcome. _Per favore_, please. _Ciao_ for hi or bye. _Si_ for yes. No for… no.”

“Your accent is flawless.”

“I pride myself on replicating the language perfectly.” But still, he seemed to preen from Arthur’s words.

As the two got to their hotel, unpacked their luggage, and tried to overcome jetlag, Gilgamesh had a bottle of wine brought upstairs to their room, along with two glasses. _Real_ Italian wine, Arthur thought, conveniently forgetting that most of the wine he’d drank since meeting Gilgamesh was … well, Italian. He took a sip and admired its taste, lifting his glass to Gil’s.

“Cheers. To time off.”

Gil only nodded in turn, clinking their glasses. “I was thinking I could take you out to dinner tonight? There’s this one restaurant I keep returning to that you absolutely have to try.”

He must’ve known the area well… Arthur was impressed. “Of course!”

“But not before I take you around town. Just watch your wallet and passport, there are pickpockets everywhere.”

\--

As dusk began to fall and Arthur felt the telltale heaviness of being up too late cloud his mind, Gilgamesh had apparently decided to mess with him.

「You are very precious to me」, he said suddenly in Italian.

Arthur looked at him somewhat disbelievingly. “Haha, what…? You know I can’t speak—”

「I’d like for you to belong to me, properly. No contract. No bonds.」

“I mean it sounds nice, I guess… but I still can’t understand what you’re saying.”

Such was Gilgamesh’s goal. Testing it out on him before he really decided to say it. 「I love you, Arthur. 」

“That… sounds familiar,” Arthur began, before shaking his head. “But I can’t place it at all. I really should though, I’ve heard that somewhere before—”

“I’m just teasing you because you can’t understand me. Don’t worry about it.”

“Finally! Some English.” Arthur nudged him in the ribs. “For a moment, I thought you were— ah!”

Arthur hurried over to the fountain they had just started to pass, admiring its architecture and suddenly, talking so fast he could hardly stop himself. “The Trevi fountain…” He could hardly get past tourists to get a good look, so he simply stepped back and admired it from afar. “You know, this fountain was funded by a lottery—”

Gilgamesh listened intently as Arthur went on his spiel about the fountain, talking quickly as he stood by Gilgamesh’s side. Watching him be so fascinated, so in the zone warmed him to the very core. He should’ve taken Arthur here instead of Fiji, where his knowledge could shine. Still… he’d love to go back to Fiji too. He’d love to take Arthur all around the entire world.

“Do you give the museum talk to everyone?”

Arthur looked embarrassed, suddenly. “No, I just… thought you were interested—”

“Oh, make no mistake, I am. I just find it really cute.”

Arthur was used to Gilgamesh’s flirting by now, so he didn’t really see the hidden intent beneath it. The actual, engaged flirting that he was trying to make clear. Arthur wasn’t stupid, but he wasn’t incredibly savvy. That’s why his confession to Gil had fallen like a ton of bricks when he intended it to be a subtle exchange of feelings. As they walked around town together, eventually finding a hole in the wall restaurant to eat at, Gilgamesh tried bullying him again with a language Arthur didn’t understand.

「Do you look at everyone with those green eyes that way? I want you to only look at me.」

With a confused expression, Arthur wondered what on earth was possessing him to talk like this. “Excuse me?”

「I might have paid for you, but I feel like I’ve finally earned you. Isn’t it funny? I should have done this a long time ago, instead of setting up false pretenses.」

“Ah, this again…” Arthur decided to play along, as if Gil was presenting him with a guessing game. “You’re talking about something too lewd to say face to face, then?”

「Why would I choose the native language that everyone around us can hear if I want to talk dirty? God, you’re so dumb. It’s cute. It’s really really cute, fuck me.」

“Or… something secret? Come on, Gil, don’t keep me guessing.”

「I meant it, Arthur, fuck m--」As their waitress approached, he quickly changed his tone and ordered wine for the two of them. As she walked away, Gilgamesh gave a laugh that sounded also like a sigh.

“Are you done now?” Arthur asked.

“Yeah, I’m done.”

As they finished their meal over a conversation about the local architecture, Gilgamesh countering Arthur with what he’d learned of Rome and testing his knowledge, he’d left a generous tip behind him as it was time to walk back to their hotel.

“I’m too tired to fool around, honestly. Let’s just get to bed.”

The jetlag was catching up to them. As they got in bed, Arthur at first laid on his side facing away from Gilgamesh, before rolling over and tucking his arm around his waist, pulling him in. Arthur was acting like a mind reader, because Gilgamesh had wanted him to do just that.

“Goodnight.”

“Night.”

“Gil…?”

“Yeah?”

“I lied. I know what ‘ti amo’ means.”

With that, Arthur pulled the cord on the lamplight next to their bed, settling into the darkness.


	28. Chapter 28

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Writing was hard today but I still got a chapter out. We're like, 5 chapters away from the ending, y'all! Woo!

Gilgamesh laid there wondering if he heard him correctly.

Of course he did, he wasn’t deaf, but there went all of his plans to wait until the right moment. He was so used to turning the tables on Arthur that he never thought the day would come when it’d be done back to him. However, he wasn’t content to let Arthur have this winning moment and be done with it. He rolled over in Arthur’s arms and pushed him onto his back, face furiously flushed.

“You really were just going to leave it at that, weren’t you?”

“We both agreed that jetlag has the better of us.”

“Well, I’m wide awake.” Gilgamesh crossed his arms before realizing he didn’t have anything to be mad at Arthur over, just taken by surprise was all… pushing back the covers, he straddled Arthur’s hips to keep him in place, despite the fact that Arthur clearly wasn’t going anywhere. “You can’t just drop that out of the blue and expect nothing.”

“Neither can you!” Arthur laughed. “You can’t just say ‘I love you’ in Italian and expect me to not mention it!”

The two were at a happy standstill. Gilgamesh choosing his words carefully, Arthur waiting to hear them. Now that he finally had the stage, Gil struggled to find the right thing to say. There were so many ways he could mess this up-- bringing up the past, bringing up the bad things they went through… but all of that had built them up into what they were. Arthur had kept his promise of becoming a man that was worthy of him, and he’d done it in such a short time. Maybe he was just weak for Arthur in his entirety, and that’s why these words were so difficult to find.

“Shall I say it in English?”

“… please.”

“I love you, Arthur.”

The next few moments were a blur. Gilgamesh wrestled him into the mattress for another kiss, stretching his legs as they intertwined with Arthur’s, hand cupping the back of his head as the other stayed planted firmly on the mattress. Arthur’s arms had wrapped around him, holding him close as the clock at their bedside ticked away the minutes they spent in a heated embrace. Gil leaned in by his ear, nibbled it, and said something in Italian that Arthur couldn’t quite understand, but could guess easily. He’d waited so long for this. So long for Gil to return his feelings, it felt like just yesterday that he’d become aware of them. Perhaps it’d been even longer, and he’d just ignored himself in favor of trying to keep it professional. What would become of his contract now? He stopped their feverish kissing to ask.

“Contract? You’re still thinking about it?” Gilgamesh sounded amused. “There is no more contract. Tear it up. You are _mine_, now.”

“But wouldn’t it be proper to wait until it’s up?” He asked quietly. “I mean, I’m pretty sure I can’t just ignore it—”

“From now on, when you give yourself to me, I want it to be because you want to, not because I paid you to.”

“We’re going to be a lot busier, then,” Arthur said playfully.

“I’d expect nothing less.”

It seemed like just yesterday Gilgamesh had been instructing him to get ready for a yacht party and indirectly calling him a whore. It felt like no time had passed at all, and yet it was now only a few months until Arthur would be officially ‘free’ to choose whatever he wanted to do. He’d have to send money to Artoria and tell her to buy her own house in the UK, he was going to stay with Gil as long as he wanted him to. Suddenly, all those plans of moving back home were out the window—he’d stay, at least until his visa ran out. Even then, money bought everything. It’d be a cold day in hell before Gilgamesh let Arthur get kicked back to England.

At first, it felt like romance was all that there was on Gil’s mind, the deep kisses, the threading their fingers in one another’s hair, but he made his intent clear when he reached between Arthur’s legs and squeezed like a playful beast, ready to get the attention he so deserved.

“I think I forgot to pack lube—” Arthur flashed back to how Gil ‘distracted’ him before he could do it.

“Don’t worry. I didn’t.”

As Gil stood up, untangling himself from Arthur, Arthur could see the very clear arousal between his legs as he went to root around his bags. So it wasn’t just him that had a kink for love, hm? Arthur sat up as Gil got back onto the bed, kicking off his pajama pants and passing the bottle to Arthur.

Arthur pulled Gil into his lap, slicking his hands with lube before deciding he was going to tease the hell out of Gilgamesh. Pressing soft kisses to his lips, he gently pushed his finger against his hole, rubbing in a circular motion to prepare him for the intimate touch within before one finger slid its way inside. He could feel Gil’s erection press into his waist as he held onto his shoulders, keening for more as he slid one digit inside of him, making sure he’d be ready. Gil had grown so accustomed to the shape of his body that preparation seemed almost frivolous, but he’d never skip this step for fear of hurting him. As his finger pumped in and out of him, a second finger entered the fray, this time alternating to give him a constant sensation of something pushing in before scissoring. Gilgamesh was now shoving his head in the crook of Arthur’s neck, forcing himself to relax and giving in to pleasure as it came.

“Are you going to beg?” Arthur asked, teasingly.

“Beg? Please, as if you’d make me—”

A moment of silence. Arthur absolutely would.

“Maybe I’ll just let you torture me until you’ve had enough,” Gil goaded back.

“You have that kind of endurance?”

“I bet I have more than you.”

Arthur laughed. “You’re talking to a sex worker.”

“An ex-sex worker who’s had me to himself for 3/4ths of a year. I can outlast you.”

Arthur added a third finger, splaying them as far as Gilgamesh could stretch comfortably, making the other man hiss.

“Still don’t want to beg?”

“Nnnn—” He panted, feeling the ache and pleasure all in one, not sure whether to give in or stay stubborn. “I guess… you can do what you want.”

“Say please, at least?”

“… please.”

Arthur pushed him against the back of the bed, one hand lazily stroking Gil’s cock as he pushed down the front of his pajama pants, letting his own erection spring forth. It had been a while, and he felt a little pent up. That’s why he didn’t hesitate when he pressed the head of his dick into him, guiding him in perfectly, like Gilgamesh was made for him, or at least, had molded to the shape of him. With a soft sigh, Gil bit back the pain of being taken after a while and focused only on the pleasure, of Arthur practically consummating their feelings by bucking into him to the hilt.

Gilgamesh stretched his arms over his head, enticingly posing on the bed for Arthur to try and goad him into moving quicker, and damn, did it ever help. Gilgamesh was gorgeous in every way, but especially when he looked at Arthur with such love in his eyes, with such acknowledgement, like ‘yes, you belong to me and I’ll permit you to do this’, it made Arthur want to take a mile where an inch was given, and he found himself rolling his hips into Gilgamesh again and again, wanting to see him come undone around him.

His pace was torturous, taking his sweet time fucking him as Gil wrapped his legs around his waist, pulling him in as Arthur’s hands were placed steadily on his hips. Each time, Gilgamesh could feel him reach deeper as he pulled his hips up for leverage, now stammering that he wanted Arthur to go faster, to give him more. Remembering a technique he learned in the business, he flipped Gilgamesh on his side and propped one leg over his shoulder and straddled the other, entering him that way as his hand could now freely grasp his cock and stroke it. Tonight, despite his teasing, Arthur was unselfish. He wanted Gil to get off as many times as he could.

The first time he came, Gil buried his face into his pillow and whined, beckoning Arthur to finish, but Arthur wouldn’t let him go so easily.

“I may not have any other languages to say it in—” He grasped Gilgamesh’s leg as leverage and pressed onward, each snap and roll of his hips now for his pleasure and his alone. “But I love you too, Gil. For a while now.”

“I know…” Gil was getting exhausted, they already were before Arthur dropped that bomb in bed before they planned on sleeping, but now, from the sex? Every jolt of pleasure was the caffeine keeping him awake, every aftershock riding out through his body making sure he didn’t pass out. “Arthur, hurry—”

“I’ll take my time.”

Now feeling free to do whatever he wished with Gilgamesh, to Gilgamesh, he switched their positions so that Gil was chest down and he was thrusting from behind. He figured it would be a bit more merciful to someone who was clearly so exhausted while still affording him time to come. Each surge of pleasure made his legs quake in a way that Arthur could feel, reaching around to find him hardening again.

“I swear, I’ll pass out—”

“Not before I’m done.”

Gil spurred Arthur on, backing his hips into him as sweat and cum dripped off of him, showing his enthusiasm and tiredness at the same time. He could feel his pleasure build obnoxiously quickly for someone who’d already came once, something about Arthur was hitting every note, and he wouldn’t squander this moment by passing out. Eventually, Arthur’s pace quickened to a relentless speed, and as Gilgamesh felt another orgasm hit him again, Arthur finally let go, leaning back as he pulled out and came over his back, breath heavy and laborious. Gil felt his head hit the pillow in exhaustion, giving Arthur the privilege of cleaning up the two of them and the sheets before they laid back down.

“You’re… something, Arthur.” He could already feel himself half asleep like his dreams were threatening to draw him under any minute.

“You’re incredible, Gil.”

“Took the words out of my mouth,” Gil said, yawning. “I am pretty incredible.”

Arthur just chuckled, tossing the washcloths that he used to clean them up away as he pulled Gilgamesh into his arms and finally, _finally_ passed out along with him.

\--

Italy was full of tourists this time of year, right at the end of the summer season, so there was no place they could go that wasn’t packed to the brim with people who were chatting and taking pictures. Arthur was utterly pleased with the coliseum, admiring it as far as they were allowed into it, talking at length about the history that surrounded it—that surrounded Italy entirely. How many wars, how much bloodshed must have happened everywhere they walked, and how history and the modern world was forged beneath their footsteps.

“You’re such a nerd, Arthur.”

“You were the one who knew constellations the moment I just mentioned their names. You’re equally nerd.”

“Not enough of one to pursue a history career.”

“Just nerd enough to have it as a hobby, then.”

Arthur’s gentle ribbing was refreshing. Really, by now, it felt like he’d known Arthur more than just part of a year—it was like he was present in so many recent, unforgettable memories that he’d become a staple of his life. He wanted Arthur to get to know his friends a bit better, thinking they’d probably get along. He wanted to fulfill his promise to his mother and bring home Arthur for a visit. Had he ever felt so serious about someone?

“You know—” He began, staring up at the ancient architecture around them.

“Yeah?”

“I want to move in with you. It’s about time I flew the nest.”

“Oh?” Arthur laughed. “If you think we can fit everything of yours into my closet, you’re more than welcome to. You pay for the apartment, you practically live there already anyway.”

Somehow, he expected a different answer, so he was pleased to find Arthur agreeing. “We can turn the spare bedroom into my closet. It’ll be fine.”

Arthur paused. “… are you worried about leaving your mother all alone in that house?”

Gilgamesh shook his head. “I think she might appreciate the distance, actually. And besides, I’ll visit her often. She’s teased me about leaving all of my stuff at home before, anyway.”

Arthur took his word for it. As the conversation drifted onto things like home and New York, Gilgamesh suddenly realized something.

“Are you still planning on moving back to Britain?”

“I… would like to visit, but I think I’d rather stay wherever you are.”

Unfailingly loyal and totally unsurprising. Gilgamesh smiled. Well, he did realize that if not between them, the contract was binding when it involved Arthur’s employer. No worries, they never checked in with the hotel anymore anyway, and he only anticipated them coming and calling to see if there were any problems. He was still a bit miffed that his employer got a cut of Arthur’s money—but that didn’t really matter anymore, either. As long as Arthur was with Gil, he’d never have to worry about money again.

“Are you planning on jumping back into work when we get home?”

“I have to. This is the second time I’ve taken a break since…”

Arthur realized they hadn’t spoken much about his father, probably so not to bring Gilgamesh down. Gilgamesh rubbed the back of his head, continuing.

“… I think he’d be happy to know we aren’t faking it anymore.”

“Do you think he knew?”

“He was sharp, so I don’t know. He never brought it up.”

Arthur nodded quietly, patting his back. “I’m sure he knew there was something between us, at least.”

“Yeah…”

They walked the city together, taking in the sights where fewer tourists flocked, Gilgamesh sneaking his hand around Arthur’s when he could. Whenever he got that reassuring squeeze back, his heart practically skipped a beat. Their flight back home tomorrow would separate them for a while as Gil settled back into work, so he wanted as much of Arthur’s time as humanly possible. This was only a short vacation, serving one purpose: to tell Arthur how he felt, and he already messed that up, albeit with a happy resolution.

“Do you want to do something special at the end of the year?” Arthur asked, suddenly.

“Why?”

“Well, it’ll be the end of my contract. It’ll be like… ending something and starting something new. Maybe watch the ball drop on New Year's eve?”

“Too crowded. Think cozier.”

“A little party, just us and all of our friends?”

“_Cozier_.”

Arthur smirked. “Just us?”

“Mhm.”

“Remember when you made me wear that gem-studded lingerie and you put your arm around me and talked about yourself for a half-hour before we even tried having—”

“Don’t. Remind me, I was just—celebrating, I guess.”

“Celebrating what?” Arthur raised his eyebrow.

“Getting you all to myself, getting you out of that damn hotel. This is embarrassing to admit, but for a while, I did have a crush on you for saving me. It came and went and came back.”

“Oh yeah, absolutely embarrassing. Try being in my shoes.”

“I don’t understand how you’d have any shame left after working that job.”

Arthur shrugged. “What happened in that room? Stayed in that room. Unless you changed your mind and want stories about it, I’ll keep it to myself.”

Gil coughed. “No, I’d rather not hear about you and other people.”

Arthur smiled a little. Gilgamesh might’ve been a possessive person by nature, but it seemed to stem out of a desire to protect Arthur’s wellbeing. They’d probably have to talk about it if it ever became a problem, but Gil was less jealous and more… ‘you can look, but you can’t touch’. He liked people seeing what belonged to him, else he wouldn’t have brought him to so many parties, showing him off.

Sitting on a bench outside their hotel, people watching, Gil casually put his hand around the back of Arthur’s seat, proving just that. Look, but don’t touch. It was amazing he could be so bold, even in another country.

“Thank you for bringing me here…” Arthur fiddled with his keys in his hands, trying to word it properly. “… and thank you for accepting me. You didn’t have to. You could have anyone in the world, and—”

“Not everyone would do what you did. Not everyone would do it without ulterior motives, without wanting something from me. I’m content with you. I just hope you feel the same way.”

“Of course I do--!”

Eschewing local customs, Gilgamesh leaned over to kiss his cheek, but Arthur turned his head at the last second to steal a kiss, just as Gilgamesh had done to him a couple of days ago.

“Sneaky bastard…” He said with a grin.

“You did it first.”

As the sun set in Italy and the two watched as people drifted by, everything seemed just right. Arthur had said it best when he knew life would be up and down, but as long as Gilgamesh was there, life would feel safe enough to push through the darker times, and finally, Gilgamesh understood what he meant by it.

He wouldn’t be letting Arthur go anytime soon.


	29. Chapter 29

Artoria didn’t expect waking up one morning to see one million dollars hitting her bank account, with the transfer notice simply saying “Buy your dream house in our hometown. Love, Arthur”. More than reacting with the usual spur of adrenaline this kind of thing would give someone and endless gratitude, Artoria grabbed her phone and texted Arthur immediately.

-A: ARTHUR!!

-A: I’M GOING TO HAVE TO PAY SO MANY TAXES!!

-A: (ง'̀-'́)ง

It was disappointing, somewhat, to hear Arthur wouldn’t be moving back home anytime soon. She had been looking forward to it, but she was also perceptive enough to know that Arthur’s relationship with Gil was… well, serious. She’d seen it in their last visit before either of the two of them had noticed, particularly when after Arthur had spilled all to her, he went straight into Gil’s arms. He’d been relying on him emotionally for quite some time… but she knew her brother well. She knew he wouldn’t be able to keep a professional relationship with someone as charismatic as that. He was barely able to keep it together with an author that was significantly older than him.

Still, she’d dreamed of making a warm and happy house for most of her life—and with that kind of money, she’d be able to live in comfort for quite some time. She just expected Arthur to come and visit and cook for her as often as he could.

As happy for the two of them as she was, she anticipated nothing less than perfection from Gilgamesh—break her brother’s heart, and he’d never hear the end of it from her. She’d called him one afternoon in October to threaten as much.

“Hello?” His voice sounded much more relaxed than the last time she’d spoken with him.

“Gilgamesh? It’s me.”

“Artoria. To what do I owe the pleasure?” The clicking of a keyboard audible from his end of the phone, she rightfully presumed she caught him while working.

“I heard you and my brother are dating? For real this time.”

“You heard correctly.”

“Treat him right, okay?” She didn’t waste any time cutting to the chase. “I don’t want to hear about you breaking his heart.”

“Artoria, Artoria, please. We’re both adults here. Just because we have a rocky beginning doesn’t mean we’re going to split the moment something gets hard. As a matter of fact, having the worst behind us should make you feel optimistic.”

“My brother has gone through so much, so I don’t want to hear about you… doing stupid, rich people things to him.”

“As I recall, you’re now also a rich person.”

“Not for long! All of that money is going to a good house.”

“Congratulations. Now then, is there anything else you wanted…?”

Artoria paused for a moment. “… thank you, Gilgamesh. He deserves nice things. I just hope you can provide them.”

Having an amicable relationship with the sister could only help him. “Of course. Take care, Artoria.”

With that, he’d hung up.

\--

Arthur could be so frustratingly domestic in such a cute way. He packed _lunches_ for him now. He’d get up and cook before Gil woke up, leaving him in a warm bed all to himself before his alarm went off. He was used to this kind of treatment, what with having a maid back home, but Arthur was no maid. Everything he made, he made with love. From the perfect breakfast as they talked about their jobs, Gilgamesh rubbing off on Arthur as he began to understand his business-speak, to whenever he was in the middle of his work and got hungry and unpacked whatever Arthur made him, he found himself eating out less and less.

And the stress had mostly gone. He’d buried himself in work, but it came easier to him. Meetings went by in the flash of an eye, and his company’s stocks hadn’t dipped any since his father’s death. He may have this position due to pure nepotism, but he wasn’t squandering the opportunity. The only downside was that now that Arthur had a job, he couldn’t fly off with him all the time when he went on business trips.

But there was always the phone.

Somewhere in Japan mid-October, the rain was heavily battering the hotel room’s window as Gilgamesh talked on his phone.

“You’ll have to come with me sometime. I’m stuck here thanks to the weather, so it won’t be until Monday that I can fly out.”

“Aww, do you miss me that much?”

“You’re my stress toy. I always miss you.”

A ‘pff’ from the other end of the phone. “Thanks, Gil.”

There was a pause from Gil’s end of the phone. He clicked his tongue. “What are you wearing?”

“This again?”

“I’m all alone in a foreign country, Arthur. Tend to me.”

He could be so needy, but Arthur was happy to keep up with it. “I’m… wearing a blue flannel shirt and some jeans.”

“And?”

“Socks…?”

“Oh how _lascivious_, socks,” Gil teased. “Are you going to make me do all the work myself?

“I get it, I get it.” A few moments later, Arthur sent a photo of him on the familiar sofa at home, shirtless, the sleeve of the flannel shirt on the floor just barely out of frame. Gilgamesh appreciated the picture in all its glory before putting the phone back to his ear and beginning to speak.

“I’d love to see you strip for me.”

“I don’t have a tripod for my phone, so—”

“Clearly, one of the things I have to get for you when I get back. Still, keep going.”

Gilgamesh loved this control. He might’ve preferred bottoming, he guessed, but he loved having power over Arthur. Watching the pictures flood in as Arthur stripped at his command until he was bare but for the socks and one hand covering his shame (cheeky of him), Gil finally took a selfie of himself, shirt unbuttoned, back against the bed in his hotel room.

“Here’s your reward.”

There were a few moments before Arthur responded. It had taken that much because he didn’t want to text that next photo to his boss on accident, so he double and triple checked it. This time, it was Arthur holding his cock in his hand, with the backdrop of the floor to ceiling window shown off in the background. Gilgamesh licked his lips, his hand wandering down to the button on his pants. He wished he were there in person, so he could ride the hell out of him and scare off anyone who came knocking that day.

“How’s this…?”

“You’ve become a natural, Arthur. Tell me what you’re going to do with it.”

“I’ll back you against the window for one.”

“And…?”

Arthur went into excruciating detail about how he’d hold Gil up against the window and fuck him, about how Gil couldn’t even hold himself up with his palms because they’d become too slick with heat, leaving Arthur with the task of keeping him aloft. About how he could see the whole city below and how he’d want to show him off to _everyone_. While those windows were heavily tinted, Gilgamesh could appreciate the sentiment, slipping his hand into his own pants and beginning to stroke himself off. He could tell by Arthur’s soft breathing that he was doing it at the same time.

Eventually, they became lost for words as they listened to one another’s heavy breathing on either end of the phone line, little hisses of ‘fuck’ and ‘god’ escaping their mouths. By now, they were so in tune with one another’s breathing that they could tell when the other was getting close, and by the sound of it, Arthur was winning the race. Gilgamesh spoke up.

“Just imagine me riding your hips… haa, like I did that night a few weeks ago—grabbing your chin and making you look at me as I ruin you thoroughly—” As Arthur’s voice shuddered on the other line, Gilgamesh had a satisfied smirk on his face.

“Feel good?”

“Messy… but good,” Gil could hear the sound of tissues being pulled from a box to wipe himself off. “Anyway, where were you?”

“I’m so close, but I’ll need you to push me over the edge…”

“Okay… so I’m pulling your hair back as I fuck you from behind, you can feel the bed shake underneath you. I haven’t let you come _once_. It’s so much, Gil, it’s overwhelming and punishing—”

“There—there!” Gil’s chest heaved as he reached his own orgasm, feeling his seed spill over his hand, delightedly panting as his body pulsed. With this, he could finally relax, cleaning up and realizing he’d stained one of his favorite shirts—oh well. With this, the conversation could go back to normal.

“Arthur, you there?”

“Oh, just putting my pants back on.”

“Don’t feel like lounging in the nude?”

“It’s the time of the week when the window washers come around. I don’t want to surprise them like… last time…”

“You tipped them handsomely. I’m sure they’ve already forgotten.”

“I don’t think they’ll _ever _forget.”

Curse this weather. He wanted to be right there beside him, teasing him in person. “Are you going to work later?”

“Oh, yes. We’re getting an exhibit with medieval paintings from across the pond soon, so I have to build frames and mounts to prepare for it. And then, there’s moving the old exhibit back into storage temporarily—”

“Have they hired you as full time yet?”

“They’re considering it! I think they’re worried about my visa…”

“We’ll get you a green card soon. Wait until I get back there to help out, okay?”

“Thanks. You’re the best.”

“I know it.”

After a little idler chit chat, Arthur had hung up and left Gilgamesh on his own in Japan again. He looked at his lock screen, a photo of Arthur he’d taken just as candidly as Arthur took his. It was of him kneeling next to Cavall and trying to teach him a new trick, and the expression on Arthur’s face as he got it right the first time was too cute not to take a photo of. Ugh, he was disgustingly in love. What on earth was he going to do about it?

\--

As Halloween approached, the two were on the sofa watching old horror specials on TV. Gil relished this because Arthur couldn’t stand them—he was easily startled by jump scares and even the most childish haunted houses, as he’d demonstrated when he, Gil, Kingu, and Enkidu visited a local ghost tour for fun. Their tour guide was just the right amount of creepy that Arthur found himself hanging on to Gil’s hand for the majority of it. The twins loved it.

“I didn’t know you were such a timid person, Arthur.”

“I’m not—_timid_, I just don’t like gore and violence. And sudden, startling things.” Just as he said that, a filing cabinet slammed shut on the movie they were watching and he jolted. Gil was right, watching _The Ring _would be a good choice, even if it was the remake.

“Feel free to hold onto me for the rest of the movie, chicken.”

“I’m not chicken.”

“You haven’t had your eyes on the screen in the past ten minutes!”

As Gil relentlessly teased him, Arthur tried focusing on the TV before another topic came to mind.

“Shouldn’t we visit your mom together sometime soon? I know we saw her just a couple of weeks ago, and you’ve been there more often, but—I’d like to get to know her a bit better. It feels like I only know her under sorry circumstances.”

“Sure, we can go. But not until I make you finish this movie _and_ watch the little featurette with the cursed tape—”

Arthur’s head hit the pillow sitting atop the sofa. “Come on, Gil…”

\--

She was always happy to see the two of them together.

“You know, Ishtar’s father has been by the past few days… wanted to know how the two of you were doing,” She said as her butler set down cups of tea for all three of them.

“Don’t tell me he still wants—”

Ninsun laughed. “He still thinks it could work out between you two, but I think he’s mostly interested because you have your father’s business now.”

“Tell him I’m happily enjoying someone _else’s_ company.”

Arthur laughed, thinking back to the first time they met Ishtar, to how she swore she’d make Gil regret not marrying her, and how she hadn’t exactly followed up on the threat. She’d even helped Arthur! She was in magazines all the time, often posing with her micropig to show how ‘humble’ and ‘down to earth’ she was (she was anything but). Arthur wasn’t her biggest fan, but at least she’d seemed to move on from Gil?

The two would help his mother with hanging up old photographs on their enormous wall already filled with pictures. It turned out these were her pride and joy, and Arthur asked questions as he helped frame them and hung them to her instructions.

“This was when Lugal and I first met in Hawaii… oh, and this was taken about a few months later when we met at a charity conference—”

It was obvious the wound of losing him was still very present, but Gil was able to take the conversation and run with it, talking about his father as if he were still there, just… distant, somehow. He’d accepted that he’d lost him, and Arthur had helped with that, but it still left an absence he wasn’t quite able to fill. As they stepped back and admired their work, the wall indeed looked full of old and new memories alike.

“I’d like to get a nice picture of you two to hang up there…” Gil’s mother said quietly.

“Oh? Oh!” Arthur was taken by surprise. “I’d love to. Gil…?”

“Sure. We can hire a photographer or something.”

A photographer… for some reason, it made Arthur blush.

“As a matter of fact, I need to have some pictures taken of me for an upcoming magazine cover—might as well kill two birds with one stone. Right?”

“R… right.”

“What’s wrong?”

“It just feels so serious, getting a photographer. Usually, that stuff is reserved for—” Arthur abruptly cut himself off. “But I guess in your life, there’s a need for all kinds of things, right?”

Gil smiled pompously. “Worry not, Arthur. I’ll make sure they get your best side.”

\--

Arthur might not have known it, but he was very naturally a photogenic man. You could catch him running a marathon half out of breath and still get a very nice picture of him. When the photographer asked them to just ‘act natural’ in a wooded part of upstate New York, where the autumn leaves had begun to change and fall, Arthur wasn’t sure what he meant. Gilgamesh, so adapted to this lifestyle, already knew though.

He’d slip his hand around Arthur’s wrist for a photograph of them walking down a leaf-covered road, taken from behind. A few solo shots of Gil for the magazine he was going to be starring in. Also, a few shots of Gil and Arthur looking at each other sweetly, just to add to the photos that his mother could go through.

The photographer stopped and asked, “Is this an engagement photo session?”

Arthur stammered. “No, no. It’s not like that. It’s just—we’re just…”

Gil said nothing, but slipped his hand around Arthur’s waist and held his hand with his other hand. “Smile for the photo, Arthur.”

Focusing on Gil instead of the camera, Arthur mostly relaxed and let the man do his work. In the end, they had over fifty shots they could use. As he scrolled through them on his camera as a preview, Arthur was stunned. This man certainly had a talent for getting the best shots… it almost didn’t feel like he was the one in the picture. The man packed up his equipment and told him he’d forward the shots to the magazine and to Gilgamesh once they’d been printed.

“All of this is making me feel like a celebrity,” Arthur admitted.

“You are dating me, after all. It’s kind of de-facto.”

Arthur looked at him as they piled into the car somewhat nervously. “What if someone digs up my past? What if it gets published everywhere?”

“We’ll handle that when we get there, if we get there.”

Arthur didn’t seem convinced. He had a lot of clients, and while there were some he trusted not to do it, there were others who’d definitely recognize him in pictures. The only thing was that the hotel kept everything absolutely secret, so the nature of their contract wouldn’t be known. Gilgamesh rubbed his shoulder.

“If it helps… I’ve had to quiet people about it before.”

“--?! And you didn’t tell me?”

“There was no need to make you anxious. Someone wanted to blackmail me over it, I had it taken care of.”

“Gil, I’m so sorry. I know it’d be easier to have someone without that kind of baggage—”

“I don’t want anyone else. Let’s leave it at that.”

To think Gil had been looking out for him this entire time… he wondered who sold him out. It wouldn’t be Passionlip, she was as kind and innocent as they came. He trusted Gil, though. He knew he’d handle things as they came before they got worse. He was always looking out for him… really, it felt like Gil was older than him rather than the other way around.

His Birthday would be soon. Arthur would have to plan something big for him, maybe rope his friends into it. God knows they could use the break too. As he went over the plans for it in his head, ideas that had been drifting around ever since he learned the date, he wanted to make something special for Gil. Something he wouldn’t soon forget.

What was he supposed to get for someone who had everything?


	30. Chapter 30

November snuck up on them fast, and Arthur was starting to grow concerned about what would happen when his contract was up.

He knew Gilgamesh wasn’t stringing him along or anything, but he’d grown so used to the confines of his work that he wondered if his old boss would try to pull him back into the job or get more money out of Gil. He didn’t think that would happen, his boss had been relatively kind, and in the end, he dismissed it as baseless worrying. Maybe there was just some kind of anxiety to the end of the year that Arthur couldn’t get rid of, something that he’d been looking forward to for a while until Gil changed his mind entirely.

He decided to take the subway that morning to work. His car was almost out of gas, and it would take too long to refuel and drive to the museum. Thankfully, he lived right near a subway station, so he packed his things for work, told Gilgamesh he was leaving and made the elevator trip down before descending into the steps of the subway. He was focusing on his phone for a few minutes when a familiar voice spoke his name.

“Arthur…?”

He looked up to see Lancelot.

Fight or flight instincts immediately rose within his chest, wondering what the hell to do when he was right there in front of them and the subway lurched to a start, but he figured this was as good a time as any to get some answers.

“I saw your latest book.”

The older man looked a bit embarrassed. “Ah.”

“Killing me off in your novel isn’t a good look for you,” Arthur bristled. He might’ve been revived, but it still spoke a lot about anger. There were still several stops before Arthur’s, and Lancelot wasn’t sure what to say at first. At the very least, he didn’t seem upset with Arthur.

“No, I suppose not, but I just couldn’t keep writing about the … ‘you’ that I knew. You were right. You’re nothing like the man I imagined you to be.”

“That’s right, I’m not.” Arthur remained tense, even if it was clear that the other man didn’t want that. “Did you have any idea how creepy I’d find that?”

“I had some idea, but it wasn’t about revenge at all. It was all my editor’s idea. I… respect your choices, even if it led you away from me. Perhaps I was never in love with a real person at all, so I had to start writing about one.”

Arthur sighed. He was still putting up an angry demeanor, but this might be his only chance at closure. “I never acted like myself around you because I knew you wouldn’t like it. It wasn’t fair of me to ghost right out of your life, either, when we could have talked this out sooner.”

“No, no. It’s fine. You had to make amends… for… what you did. I’ve moved on, Arthur. Truly.”

Arthur wasn’t sure what to say after that, so he said nothing. He just waited for his stop and got off, hurrying to the museum and making his way to the employee’s only room. All of that conversation brought up horrible memories. Seeing someone affected by your past mistakes always brought up pain, but he hoped he could work it out by working that day. The office was rather small compared to the rest of the museum, his desk now next to Jekyll’s, little on it other than one of the photos of him and Gilgamesh that the photographer took. He’d chosen his favorite, the one where Gil took him by surprise and put his hand around his waist. That confident, dreamy look on his face… well, let’s just say Arthur was a fan.

Setting a cup of museum cafeteria coffee by his side, Jekyll took his seat beside Arthur.

“Some kid was trying to swat butterflies in the butterfly exhibit today,” He sighed. “Had to get the parent to escort him out, didn’t understand what he was doing wrong.”

“Why go into the bug exhibit if you don’t like bugs?”

“Exactly my thoughts. Oh well, at least they’re gone. Are you okay? You seem a little tense.”

Arthur wondered if it was really that obvious. “I met an ex on the subway today.”

“Oof, I’m sorry.”

“How are you holding up?”

“My brother Hyde is getting out of prison in time for Thanksgiving,” Jekyll mused quietly, looking stressed. “The reunion is going to be… something.”

“What’d he do?”

“Do you remember the man hijacked a diplomat’s car and then crashed it into a bodega after stabbing three people?”

That had been all over the news a few years ago. “… that was him?”

“Among other things.”

The two chatted in relative quiet as they worked on typical busywork before moving onto the fun stuff—examining new relics and artifacts sent to the museum that needed assembly and to be put on display. Paleontologists were directing the workflow with dinosaur bones, and though this wasn’t Arthur’s area of expertise, he was happy to observe. To think these had all been in the ground just a short while before, undiscovered, waiting to be put on display!

His phone buzzed with a text message, and as he stepped away from the people working busily, he quickly read it.

-G: Feel like coming with me on a business trip?

-A: I don’t know, I’ve missed work a lot lately.

-G: Tell them I’ll put in another gigantic donation for your time off. Just show Jekyll this message.

Clearing his throat, he tapped Jekyll’s shoulder and showed him his phone, trying to explain before Jekyll cut him off.

“If he’s paying, go for it. We really only need an extra set of hands with the assembly, and Babbage is squirrely about letting the historians work with the fossils. Just be back on Monday, alright?”

Arthur thanked him profusely and texted Gil back.

-A: Where are we going?

-G: Back to Japan.

\--

This time, they had to take the private jet. Gilgamesh was becoming so popular in the news and television in general that privacy was a necessity. He was even booming on twitter, which Arthur only followed from a distance, watching him post one hot take and getting a slew of angry tweets in response. Arthur had mostly stayed out of the spotlight, except for magazines and people trying to interview him, which he most always turned down. Gilgamesh really was above it all, and Arthur was trying to adjust to being above it all with him.

“People stop me on the street, now,” Arthur thought aloud, vaguely in Gilgamesh’s direction. “I’m going to have to start wearing sunglasses.”

“They’ll still notice who you are from that little cowlick of yours that you can’t seem to push down.”

“How do you handle it?”

“I’m not the kind of celebrity people want autographs from. I’m the kind they want to pay their college tuition.”

“So, people like me.”

“Exactly.”

“Have you actually paid for anyone’s college tuition?”

“I’ve paid off my friends’ in full, and yours. I also donate heavily to a scholarship program that my company started… so yes, plenty of people have gotten a free ride because of me.”

Arthur looked at him, amused. All of that giving and it still didn’t really put a dent in his fortune. How Arthur wished he had that sort of power. He’d make sure all of his friends and family were comfortable for the rest of his life… which he supposed Gilgamesh was doing, now himself included. Though Arthur was sure he’d give away all of his money if he were in Gilgamesh’s shoes, he never really pressured him to do anything differently with it. If they ever got more serious, well… maybe he’d encourage him to look at a few more charities.

\--

Japan was just as Arthur had imagined, down to the architecture, down to the flood of people walking around them, down to the beautifully colorful streets and lights. As Gilgamesh explained where they were staying and how he’d be gone for the next day to do work and how Arthur could explore on his own, Arthur was taking in the sights around them.

“Ah--!”

“What is it?”

“A crane game!”

Looking into an arcade they just passed, Arthur found one of his secret vices. He was so good at these games, immediately taking coins out of his pocket (and double-checking to make sure they were the right ones) to feed into the machine and try. Gil stood back, entertained as Arthur guided the claw over a stuffed sparrow toy, and after a few tries managed to get it to drop. As Arthur looked it over, feeling a sense of accomplishment, Gilgamesh read the tag.

“Bun-chan, huh?”

“I bet Artoria would love this. I’ll bring it back as a souvenir.”

The walk back to the hotel was filled with intense chatter, Arthur taking in his surroundings, and Gil just quietly admiring how cute Arthur could be. Their hotel had to be one of the nicest ones Arthur had ever seen, Gil easily conversing with the woman at the counter and taking them up to their room. He’d never been on his own in another country before, so he felt somewhat nervous about having time to himself the next day.

“Just use simple words and if they don’t speak English, just try to get your point across. It’s really no different than when you run into someone who can’t speak it in the states.”

“_I think it’s pretty different_,” Arthur thought quietly to himself.

Still, he would take that advice and run with it.

\--

The meetings were fairly dull, as they usually were. Gil was inventive and always knew the best ways to increase profits without cutting too much beneath them, but right now, all he was thinking about was Arthur navigating a foreign country on his own. He might know these streets better than he knew some parts of New York by now, but that was an entirely different case for Arthur. Why was he worrying? Arthur was a grown man, he could handle it.

As he took a seat back at the table after giving his presentation, he got a text from Arthur. It was a video of him sitting in a conveyor belt sushi restaurant, excitedly talking about how cool it was and how he wished Gil could be there. Turning the volume down low so he could listen to it, he promised himself that he’d take Arthur somewhere special once this was all over.

“Where are you?” Gil asked after calling Arthur.

“I… don’t know? I can’t read the street signs. It’s busy, though.”

“Do you know your way back?”

“I’m pretty sure! I memorized the hotel name.”

“Pretty sure…” Gilgamesh laughed. “Okay. Okay, I’ll come find you.”

After a long game of Arthur describing the places surrounding him and Gilgamesh doing his best to decipher what he meant, the two met up in Shibuya near the Hachiko statue.

The two walked for a little while, Arthur asking about his business meeting and occasionally pulling Gilgamesh into shops so he could look around at all of the unique things surrounding them, Gilgamesh mostly letting Arthur have his fun and translating when the time came for it. When they were both worn out, they headed back to their hotel, full of food and feeling content.

“My father used to always say he wanted to come here,” Arthur pressed the button for their floor in the elevator. “He dreamed of it. We never made enough money to fly overseas, but he loved the culture. He always wanted to visit Italy too. I’m… glad I got to accomplish both dreams for him. I never would have without you.”

Gilgamesh just nodded, letting the two of them back into their room. Arthur dropped his shopping bags and flopped back against the bed. Gil sitting beside them, he flipped on the TV.

“Is that you?”

Arthur suddenly lifted his head, seeing a paparazzi picture of both of them on the local news channel. Gilgamesh translated the gist of what the news anchor was saying for him. “’ Overseas billionaire spotted with a companion in Shibuya today.’ Nothing more interesting than that.”

“I’ll never get used to it…” Arthur groaned, stretching out his arms above his head.

“You really should. You’re stuck with me now, and that means being stuck with the press.”

Before Arthur could answer, his phone rang. Seeing the number on the front of his phone, he suddenly looked anxious and swiped it to answer. “Hello… boss…?”

Gilgamesh was immediately on alert. Arthur didn’t call Jekyll ‘boss’, so the only person that could be was—

“No… no, everything’s okay. I’m still holding up my end of the contract. He’s here with me. We’re on vacation.” Arthur quietly put him on speaker so Gilgamesh could overhear, who looked Arthur’s way tensely.

“Well, Arthur, have you given any thought to coming back once the year is over?”

“No…” Arthur said quietly. “I don’t think I can handle that kind of lifestyle anymore. Besides, you got a large cut of my last job, so—”

“Think about it, would you? I mean, you’re gonna have to support that lavish lifestyle of yours, and I know people who would kill to—”

“The answer is no,” Arthur said, firmly. “I told you as much when I first signed the contract. That this year would be my last.”

“That’s a shame, Arthur. A lot of the people here had to take on your clients when you left. You could easily lift the burden on them.”

Arthur could see the look on Gilgamesh’s face beside him, and it was_ livid_. He took the phone from Arthur and held it up to his ear. “He said he’s done, so he’s done.”

“Is that the client? Hello! I was just discussing business matters with him, nothing else.”

“You will not guilt _him _into going back to that hellhole,” Gilgamesh spat. “He’s mine now. I’m officially taking him out of your _business_.”

Now his boss seemed a touch aggravated, now that he couldn’t manipulate Arthur on his own. “Well, congrats to both of you. I’ll still be in touch to make sure everything is still according to the contract. Arthur? If you’re there, consider it.”

With that, the phone clicked, and Arthur’s good mood from the rest of the day had immediately soured. “Telling me that everyone else is burdened with my clients… what is he trying to get at?”

“Recouping a valuable asset. He’s a businessman above all other things, and his business model is exploiting vulnerable people. Don’t let him get to you, Arthur, it won’t be worth it.”

“I won’t. Nothing can make me go back there.”

Gil’s protective streak was a mile wide, and he’d have the place shut down before Arthur could ever go back to it. Arthur was smart enough not to get bullied into going back, but that didn’t mean this didn’t bring up bad memories. He wondered how truly ‘benevolent’ Arthur’s boss was, and easily doubted that he had any feelings towards Arthur beyond ‘if one man would pay 5 million for him, imagine what others could do’.

He wouldn’t stand for it. Leaning down over Arthur, he gently brushed his lips against his, trying to reassure him that he was there, and everything was fine. Arthur kissed back, blinking softly like a loving cat up at him.

He had rescued this man from certain despair, and he was not about to let him go waltzing back into it.

\--

Back home in New York, the thought of it hadn’t left Arthur’s mind.

Just because he’d been suggested into the lifestyle by a caring friend didn’t mean that it was ever good for him, even if he made money that kept him afloat and even if he got paid better than most people. Was he still an escort…? Gilgamesh said that the contract was now null and void, but that was only verbally. He trusted Gilgamesh more than anything, but he didn’t feel like he could really rest until January 1st when all of this was over with. It was weighing on his mind, and Gilgamesh could tell.

“If you let him get to you, he’s already won,” Gilgamesh said, simply.

“I know, but…”

“Listen. You’re not an escort anymore. You’re just you, and whatever you choose to do, that’s up to you. You’re a historian at one of the most famous museums in the world. I would proudly wear that title rather than one you’d prefer to leave in the past.”

Arthur gave him a half-hearted smile. “Thanks.”

“Watch TV with me?”

Arthur settled down with him, patting his lap until Cavall jumped into it and watched some old movie with him that Netflix randomly put in their queue. He was only half paying attention, though, his hand over Gil’s, thinking about how this man saved him and how much worse life could be if he were still there. Would someone else have noticed how much he was suffering, something he himself didn’t even see?

It didn’t do to dwell on trauma. He supposed he really needed a therapist or something, someone he could work out all these issues without putting all the burden on Gilgamesh. Someone he could trust.

For now, he would hold onto Gil’s hand and brave whatever came his way. He’d go to work and do his job, he’d make friends, he’d try and move onto a better life without thinking of the one he’d left behind, the eternal ‘what-if’s’ of if he’d never met Gilgamesh in the first place, hadn’t thought of saving him, hadn’t been hired for the steep price of five million USD.

He just wished he could save the people he’d left behind in that life, like what had been done for him.

Maybe he could.


	31. Chapter 31

Arthur woke up to clear snow outside of his window.

“This early…?” He slipped out from between the covers and walked over to watch it, rubbing his shoulders for warmth in nothing but his oversized t-shirt and some pajama pants. He could hear Gil huddle under the blankets, trying to escape the cold. He usually avoided cranking the thermostat up as a habit since he was younger, but he supposed he could afford a little heat now, and as the heating roared to life from their vents, Cavall was standing by his food bowl, doing his little ‘hungry’ dance of tapping his paws against the wooden floor.

“I got you, mate,” he whispered, patting Cavall between the ears and grabbing some dog food from the kitchen cupboard. He could feel himself warm up as he started the coffee maker for Gil and prepared himself some tea. Hearing Gilgamesh’s telltale yawn from the other room, he went ahead and fired up the stovetop as well.

The sounds of the shower drowning out the wind outside, he cracked a couple of eggs into the pan and fried them up nicely, taking a pepper grinder from the spice rack hanging above the kitchen island and seasoning. The toast was done in short order as he cut open an avocado and arranged neat little slices on it before sliding the cooked eggs on top.

Gilgamesh dried off his hair and tossed his pajamas and wet towel into the laundry hamper. Days like this had become more common, him slipping into the spare room to pick out his clothes for the next day and get dressed before sitting at the table with Arthur and whatever delicious breakfast he’d concocted for that day. He didn’t work that morning but was expected to go in during the afternoon, so as he yawned and took a seat at the kitchen island, Arthur leaned across to kiss him.

“So,” Arthur began, looking a bit nervous. “I have an idea.”

“What kind of idea?”

“The kind that’s going to cost me a lot of money.”

Arthur never had to worry about that from here on out, but it still caused Gilgamesh to cock an eyebrow as he bit into his toast. “Are you finally getting daring, Arthur?”

“I just want to help someone, that’s all.”

“… ‘help’ someone—you mean…?”

“Someone from my old life.”

Gilgamesh laughed. “Surely you don’t intend to buy someone else out of it.”

“… actually…?”

“That’s _definitely_ cheating, Arthur.”

“I wouldn’t sleep with them!” He said defensively, nudging bacon onto Gilgamesh’s plate with a spatula from the frying pan. “I just want to give them an out. Like you did for me.”

“Who’s the lucky person?”

“Uh… you’ve met her. She punched out the guy who drugged me the first time.”

Gil nodded sagely, taking another bite. “The girl with the enormous—”

“_Anyway_,” Arthur cut him off. “How much did you figure it cost to buy me before you rounded up?”

“It was only about…” He took a moment to do the math in his head. “730,000 USD, actually.”

“You went _that much_ overboard?”

“I was rewarding you, Arthur, not giving you an allowance. Come on.”

Gilgamesh’s idea of money was still forever skewed.

“So if I offered a million…” Arthur sat down in front of him with his own breakfast, trying to do the math.

“Come on, Arthur. You’re buying her out of her life. Give more than that.”

“I don’t have the same amount of money you do! I guess I could give her two million… that’d leave me with about a million and a half left over, since I gave Artoria some money--”

“I’ll pay for it.”

“… but you don’t even know her.”

“She saved you that one time, didn’t she? I owe her.”

Gilgamesh could be, in all respects, incredibly selfish and unendingly generous at the same time. His protective streak of Arthur was still a mile wide, and he figured it would be his good deed for the month. Thanksgiving was in November, wasn’t it? Well, he was thankful Arthur was here in front of him, and he owed that in due part to her. Arthur smiled.

“I’ll text her later today, okay?”

“Try and get her to come over before she works. If I knew I was going to receive a fortune, I wouldn’t waste my time going into work that day.”

\--

Lip was dressed nicely, and Arthur realized he hadn’t seen her dressed outside of her work clothes in a long time. In a simple turtleneck and black jeans, she thanked him for the tea and pat Cavall, who was sitting next to her.

“It’s been a while since we last hung out!” She said happily, giving a soft ‘mm’ at the taste of the tea. “This is incredible.”

“Lip, to be truthful, I’m not inviting you just to hang out.”

“Oh…?” She looked between him and his boyfriend, wondering with a sinking heart if this was ‘business’. “Do I need to call the boss? You know before any bookings, I—”

“No, no! In fact, you might never have to speak to that guy again.”

Gil pushed a check across the table to her, which she picked up after setting down her little saucer and teacup. Covering her mouth, she whispered ‘_no_’ underneath her breath.

“Arthur…?!”

“You helped me out a long time ago,” He spoke resolutely, meaning every word. “And I want to do for you what Gilgamesh did for me.”

“With this kind of money, I’d never have to work a day in my life—” Instantly, she was worrying, wondering what on earth she could do with herself after this. “Are you sure? Are you really, really sure? Don’t get my hopes up just to--”

“It’s a real check,” Gilgamesh said, losing patience. “Go cash it, deposit it in a Swiss bank or wherever you’d like. You don’t have to work at that brothel in disguise anymore.”

Tears started to well up in her eyes as she rushed over to hug Arthur, who was immediately taken by surprise. Gil wasn’t free from her grasp either as she gathered him up into her arms and squeezed so hard he thought she might crush him. Her grip was devastating. The tears rolling down her cheek began to blur her makeup and immediately, she began talking too fast to keep up with.

“Oh my gosh, my sisters were so close to finding out—now I can tell them I won a lottery or something and we’ll all be able to—Arthur, do you know how to handle this kind of money? Because I have no clue and—“

“We’ll help you.” He pat her shoulder reassuringly as she let go of Gilgamesh, who needed a moment to catch his breath. “I was in your shoes nearly a year ago. I won’t make you figure it out on your own.”

“You two… please join me and my sisters for thanksgiving! I can’t tell them exactly what you did for me, but we’ll be happy to host you!” She bowed her head, trembling hands still holding the check.

“Uh…” Arthur hadn’t expected that response, looking Gilgamesh’s way. “Did you have any plans?”

“Just work. I think we can humor her and go.”

As Arthur helped her call their ex-boss and quit, Gilgamesh watched as the two of them chatted happily, as Passionlip talked eagerly about her family, about how they could finally move out of the city now and help fulfill her sister’s dream of being a TV producer. It felt… alright being able to help yet another person out of those shoes, as he knew how much Arthur had suffered working there. He couldn’t imagine how it might be for an innocent girl like her.

\--

Thanksgiving would come and go rather quickly. The two men were surprised to see a meek girl like Passionlip have two bickering older sisters, one who quickly took to Gilgamesh after realizing he was a famous billionaire, grilling him and flirting with him like he was her ticket to LA. Arthur might have been jealous if it weren’t for the thoroughly unamused look on Gil’s face, the one that was constantly saying ‘back off’ even as BB got closer and closer to him.

Her other sister, Melt, recruited Arthur into the kitchen so he had no time to tear Gilgamesh away from BB. The whole thing went rather well, Arthur learning that her sisters thought she had a night waitressing job and found it somewhat relatable. He’d lied to his own sister about it, too. Passionlip promised the two of them that she’d break the news to them when the two men left, but Arthur wasn’t determined to follow up on it. It was her own life now, she could do whatever she wished with it.

(Later, he would learn that the group of girls did indeed move to Los Angeles sometime around Christmas.)

Now that they were nearly in December, Gilgamesh had an interview coming up.

He decided it was then he was going to be official about their relationship.

Gossip rags commenting on it was one thing, but to be out in the open, public about your relationship with another man, it was a big step. Arthur was nervous, as he’d been requested to join them. It would be on television later that day, and he had no idea what to do with it. Just read off of a teleprompter? Or would everything he’d say have to come straight from him? The showbiz life was one he had no clue how to navigate.

“It’s easy, Arthur. They’ll rehearse your lines with you before the cameras roll, and we’ll be over and done with it in no time. Just try to stay calm and it’ll be over with before you know it—telling them you’re a historian at the local museum can only help too, right? It gives you clout.” Gilgamesh snapped his fingers. “My perfect counterpart.”

“Shouldn’t we talk through a few things? Like… how we met, for example? It seems like that’s a good thing to lie about, for once.”

Gilgamesh thought it over, thinking… yeah, probably shouldn’t mention the boyfriend got drugged on your behalf. “We met while you were at college and became friends over the years. Suddenly it ‘clicked’ after I split with Ishtar.”

“We’ve been together for about a year—” Arthur continued.

“Exactly. And we’ll talk about our little dog and I’ll go on about work and we’ll be finished. People eat that stuff up—they’ll probably ask for a photo of Cavall II to put on screen, so give them that.”

When they arrived at the TV studio, Gilgamesh tossed Arthur a VIP lanyard and put one around his own neck, carelessly pushing into the ‘employees only’ door. An intern spotted them immediately.

“Sir, can I get you anything?”

“A whiskey for me and a bottle of water for my partner.” Gilgamesh barely acknowledged the person walking with them, just taking orders like a champ and hurrying off to get them what they needed. People cleared the way for Gilgamesh like parting a sea, knowing that he was the esteemed guest of the evening, along with people checking out Arthur and wondering just who he was—and where he came from.

“Nero,” Gilgamesh greeted cordially, shaking the TV host’s hand as soon as she was done reading her script and setting down her coffee.

“Gil! It’s been so long since you’ve accepted one of my interviews, what’s up? You’ve been busy with…” Nero leaned to the side to get a good look at Arthur, who blushed slightly. This once idol turned famous television host was certainly a sight to see in real life. Just being looked over by her made him want to shrink slightly. He could tell she was making a mental checklist of his good qualities and ones they should hide before they put him on camera.

“I have, and since a death in the family, I’ve been keeping things quiet.”

“My condolences. I heard about it! Everyone heard about it, but you look good! Should we mention it on camera or—”

“Nah, keep the subject on Arthur and me. We’ve only got 15 minutes of interview time, right?”

“Has he been told how this all goes down?”

“I gave him a good idea, yeah.”

It was then that the two were rushed off to makeup and styling. Arthur usually thought of himself as relatively clear-skinned and easy to look at, but as they brushed him down with makeup, he realized that showbiz required an extra touch. Gilgamesh was taking it like a pro, letting them fiddle with his hair and accent his eyes with eyeliner while it took almost all of Arthur’s efforts to stay still. Soon enough, once they’d given up on brushing down Arthur’s cowlick, they were ready for the stage.

Most talk shows looked very homey, like you were going to sit in and have a nice chat, but the raw energy that surrounded the backstage made it feel chaotic and unwelcoming. Finally, the intern brought Gilgamesh his whiskey and water for Arthur, but he was too afraid to drink it for fear of ruining the makeup they’d just slathered on him. The person in the reflection definitely looked a little unrecognizable.

Finally, it was time for the rehearsal.

They watched as the first interviewee walked on stage to the sound of the audience applauding. This was Elisabeth Bathory, Nero’s longtime friend, and rival on stage, though her career seemed to be taking off despite her reliance on autotune. They bickered and teased each other on the set, making a good show of it like refined, practiced stars. Arthur hoped that sitting still and looking pretty was going to be enough for him.

Finally, with a robust voice, Nero called them to the stage. “New York’s very own playboy billionaire philanthropist, giving Tony Stark a run for his money— and tonight, we get to meet his lovely boyfriend, Arthur Pendragon!"

With the crew simulating the applause of the crowd, Arthur followed Gil on stage, taking the seat next to him and suddenly feeling nervous as hell, despite this only being the rehearsal. The two shook her hand before taking a seat, and Nero sorted her papers on her desk before tossing them behind her as a joke.

“Gil, sweetheart, it’s been forever since you’ve been here? What have you been up to?”

“I’ve been all around the world this year. My job doesn’t let me take that many breaks, but I’ve been enjoying myself. Mostly due to him.”

There was a slight ‘ooo’ from the audience as the cameras turned to focus on Arthur, who was maintaining his princely façade so hard he could barely speak. He just let out a gentle laugh at that, picked up by the microphone on his lapel. “He’s joking, honestly!”

“This is Arthur, huh?” Nero donned a terrible English accent. “I understand you’re from across the pond, aren’t you?”

“That’s right. I came here for college at Cornell University. That’s when I met Gil.”

“Now, you’re 28, Arthur. How old was Gilgamesh when you met him?”

Quickly doing the math in his head, Arthur had to hazard a guess. “I believe he was 20. I was 24. We were just friends back then, though. We didn’t get together until early January of last year.”

“Interesting… so what kinds of things do you two do together, now that you’re official?”

Gilgamesh took over the questions at that point, giving Arthur some much-needed relief. Detailing on how they explored the world together on business trips and went on frequent dates, joking about life in New York and slowly drifting the topic towards philanthropy, Arthur was glad to just sit there, smile, and occasionally laugh whenever Nero cracked a bad joke. What was only 15 minutes seemed to last hours to Arthur, who was worried about who’d recognize him on TV, if his boss was watching, if this would impact his work any. None of the worries reached his face—he mainly focused on Gilgamesh. Then, when they talked about sharing a puppy, Nero and the audience collectively cooed as a picture was brought onscreen, despite Arthur not remembering if he shared one with her.

Soon enough, Nero said, “--And that’s all the time we have for now! Give it up for Gilgamesh and his boyyyyfriend, Arthur!” to the loud applause of the crowd, and as it cut to a commercial break, Arthur realized something. Turning to Gil in shock, he spoke.

“This wasn’t a rehearsal at all, was it?!”

“There was no time today. Usually, there would be.”

“Gil…!”

“If I told you this was the real deal, you’d be nervous. Besides, that went fine, didn’t it?”

Arthur was clearly annoyed, but couldn’t deny what he said was the truth. As they walked off stage in time for Nero’s musical guest to show up, Arthur realized quickly that the person walking by was—

“—is that _Kintoki_?”

“The rock star? Yeah, it looks like that’s Nero’s performer for the evening.”

Arthur hesitated a bit. “I’d love an autograph…”

Gilgamesh rolled his eyes. “I’ll get VIP passes to his next concert, don’t worry about it.”

As they headed backstage, news reporters from the same station broadcasting Nero’s show swarmed them, asking for additional interviews about Arthur and where this mystery man came from. Gilgamesh pushed past them, cameras flashing as their pictures were taken. Arthur wasn’t sure he’d ever get used to this, but fame came with being with Gilgamesh. He’d gladly take it if it meant they’d stay together.

Tossing the lanyard off of his neck and into the backseat, Gilgamesh took the wheel this time and drove off into the busy city traffic alongside Arthur.

“Mind if we make a quick stop at the office? I need to pick up my laptop.”

“Sure.”

It seemed like just yesterday that Gilgamesh had him kneeling beneath his desk, and he wasn’t entirely sure it’d be the last time, but Gilgamesh had become less demanding now that the contract was off. That didn’t mean Arthur was any less thirsty for him, though. As he unlocked his office door, he was surprised to see Siduri still at her desk outside his main office, with only a few other people in the room, working overtime.

“What are you doing?” He laughed. “You should go home. In fact, I’m ordering you to.”

“Sorry…” She turned off her monitor and grabbed her bag. “Just needed to finish up a few things.”

“You look like you haven’t slept well,” Gilgamesh asked, suddenly. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah! I just want to do my best for you. The transition from boss to boss is still a little rough.”

“Well… if you need an assistant, all you have to do is ask.”

Siduri thought on it. “Well… maybe. I’ll get back to you about that tomorrow.”

As she left, Gilgamesh unlocked the door to his office, Arthur following him inside as the lights flickered on. All he had to do was grab his laptop bag, but Arthur had another idea. Just as he leaned against his desk to send one last text message, Arthur put his hands on either side of him and leaned in for a kiss.

Gilgamesh accepted it, albeit somewhat confused. “Just a minute, Arthur—”

His hands roaming up his sides, Gilgamesh finally sent the text and set it aside, hands running up his chest to grab his tie.

“What’s gotten into you?”

“I’m just thinking of all the times you made me drop everything and come here to fuck you because you were too stressed.”

Gil pulled roughly on Arthur’s tie, threatening to choke him. “So my office gets you in the mood?”

“Pavlovian reaction.”

“Well…” Gilgamesh purred, pulling him in for a kiss. “Let’s not untrain you, then.”


	32. Chapter 32

Winter rolled in with a vengeance, making their apartment downtown somewhat of a safe haven. Each time they’d run to the corner store to get something missing for dinner or taking Cavall on a walk, they’d come back covered in a dusting of snow and shivering to the bone. Gilgamesh was working from home as often as he could but sometimes would still have to put on a black wool designer coat and face the storms outside. It felt like it rarely melted, and while radios were cheerily singing about a white Christmas, the two of them would rather have anything but.

It also gave them the predicament of what to get one another for Christmas.

Gilgamesh told Arthur what he wanted sincerely—’get a trusted friend to wrap you in ribbons and wait on the bed for me.’ When the new version of his favorite phone released, instead of waiting for Arthur to get it for him for Christmas, he was the first in line to pick it up the day it released, much to Arthur’s frustration. Arthur was coy about gifts, saying that he didn’t really need anything, he already had what he wanted. Bullshit, Pendragon. You can’t wrap up ‘nothing’ under the Christmas tree—the one they had to stuff inside an elevator and bring up 20 stories before decorating.

Gilgamesh quickly realized the best present for Arthur would be bringing home his sister for the holidays. Quietly, he shot her a text message to tell her his plan, waiting for her to agree, and buying her a first-class plane ticket. He thought this was something of a dull gift, though, as Artoria would be expected to come anyway—so the hunt for something perfect for Arthur was ongoing.

Artoria had bought her dream house in Stamford, nice and old and the settling of the house often reminding her of the hauntings rumored to inhabit it. She’d moved on to a better job and was honestly content. She would’ve much rather have dragged Arthur home for the holidays, but it was his first one with Gil, so that had to count for something. Gil had his driver stand near the baggage check with her name on a sign, slightly misspelled. As she pulled her luggage off, she wondered if she’d ever get used to the fact that her brother now lived in a world where ‘drivers’ were a common thing instead of driving your own damn self around town. She figured she probably wouldn’t.

Christmas in the city had mostly crept up on them without really realizing, both old enough to put the magic of the holiday behind them. It occasionally made itself known in the form of shopping music and the radio, and the TV anchor talking about whatever holiday broadcast they had going on, but mostly it had been ignored, which made Artoria’s surprise visit all the more… well, surprising. Arthur gasped the moment he opened the door that late December evening and immediately hugged her, asking when she flew in if her flight had been okay, what made her surprise them? All she did was turn and point towards Gilgamesh and said ‘his idea’ before dragging her stuff off to the spare bedroom.

The look in Arthur’s eyes said it all, he was absolutely charmed, bringing in Gil for a kiss and murmuring ‘thank you’ as he held him in a tight embrace.

“Are you going to tie yourself up in ribbons for me, then?” Gilgamesh whispered back.

“Maybe when she leaves,” Arthur teased.

Really, Gil didn’t want anything but that. Honestly.

Artoria had really warmed up to Gilgamesh since last seeing him, even if she thought he lived a life of excess and even if she thought her brother might be growing spoiled by him. He treated Arthur right, which was her main concern—though she would never admit it to Arthur, she’d usually expect someone rich and famous like that to move on to a different model of boyfriend or girlfriend by now, but she also knew how much the two of them had been through together, so they had her vote of confidence.

“Have you ever seen a show on Broadway, Artoria?”

“Is that a rhetorical question?”

“I just happen to have some tickets here…”

Okay, so maybe he was trying a little too hard to get a vote of confidence he already had. Still, her eyes lit up, looking over the musical he’d chosen for them.

“_Moulin Rouge_!, huh…?”

“It made me think of Arthur.”

Arthur rolled his eyes, his lips pulling into a tight smirk. “You would.”

At the very least, it was something to do. A small-town girl, Artoria wasn’t used to the grid system of the city, how Arthur and Gilgamesh seemed to flawlessly navigate it amongst the flurries of snow, occasionally having to be pulled back from crossing a street when the light was green (“You can never trust New York drivers to stop,” Arthur whispered). When they got to the theater, the lines were almost as long as the next block over, but the two men didn’t seem perturbed at all, quietly chatting away about Gil’s work. Arthur was now able to keep up effortlessly with Gil on the subject matter, now that he understood what exactly it was Gil did.

Artoria only stared between them when they talked about Christmas bonuses and how Siduri was taking a much-needed vacation in the Bahamas. She just hoped Gilgamesh wouldn’t change her brother too much. As the line lurched forward, they walked in, flashing their tickets and getting lead to a private balcony, right near where the action was. Artoria quickly realized this wasn’t because Gilgamesh splurged or anything, but because he wouldn’t settle for less.

Humming the tune to the main theme of _Come What May_ as they left, Gil flagged them a taxi to head back home, Artoria completely starstruck from the whole ordeal, carrying a bag holding a t-shirt and an album from the little gift shop.

\--

Christmas Day itself was unique.

Artoria would be flying home in the evening, along with Arthur joining her for a few days back home, but they had the entire day otherwise to spend at Gilgamesh’s mother’s house—now decidedly very empty without him living there. He suggested to his mother that she take the day off and go somewhere special, but Ninsun insisted that she spend the holiday with her son, her son’s boyfriend, and … her son’s boyfriend’s sister. It would feel better if the house was warm and full, and Gilgamesh was in no position to deny her.

There was no such thing as decorating days in Gilgamesh’s house—they had maids and butlers to help with that, so when he and his entourage entered the foyer, it was already filled with Christmassy apparel and decorations. It was something of a relief to Arthur, who hadn’t had a family Christmas since his parents’ died, back when he and Artoria couldn’t afford much of anything for each other, so they just cooked the day of and enjoyed what they had.

“Is this you…?” Artoria stopped at the photograph hanging on the wall of Gilgamesh and Arthur, from the photoshoot that felt so long ago. Arthur reddened, nodding. Artoria gave a soft shrug. “Being on his mom’s photo wall, huh… you two really are serious.”

Arthur gently elbowed her as Gil’s mom entered the room, giving them each a hug and kiss on the cheek. It seemed his mother went all out, with piles of presents stacked beneath the tree despite no one in this family really needing to get one another anything, with the scent of good food hanging in the air, with the sound of Christmas music that had been following them all month.

It was a decent, quiet evening. Arthur had gotten his mother a lovely scarf, unsure it was her style until she put it on then and there. Gilgamesh had gotten several photographs of his father and mother enlarged and professionally printed so that his mother could hang them up, a gift that practically brought her to tears. Artoria didn’t even know what to do when she was handed a silver-wrapped package, opening it to find an adorable lion plush inside, wrapped with a red ribbon. By the time it came for Arthur and Artoria to leave for their plane trip, Gilgamesh walked the two of them to the doorway, telling them he’d stay with his mother until Arthur came back.

“You’ll take care of Cavall, won’t you?”

“He’ll be fine,” kissing Arthur, he bid him farewell. “Have a safe flight.”

“Merry Christmas, Gil.” Arthur slipped a small wrapped package into his hand, having hidden it from adding to the pile of presents. As Artoria headed to the private shuttle parked in front of his house, Gilgamesh quietly unwrapped it. It was a roll of red ribbon, with a note that said ‘for when I get back’.

He grinned to himself, watching as Arthur followed Artoria to the car.

\--

Arthur had the important duty of helping Artoria unpack all of her things from recently moving. From sorting silverware into the silverware drawer to reassembling a cabinet and putting in their parents' hand-me-down china, to unpacking old memories and asking her where to place them, each bit of nostalgia hitting him gently in the stomach.

“It’s been forever since I’ve seen all this…” He unpacked his old school uniform, wondering why Artoria even bothered keeping it, sorting it into the ‘maybe’ pile for donation.

“It’s been in storage, that’s why.”

“You never considered throwing some of this away?”

“Nope… not without your say-so, anyway.”

Photographs of their parents were scattered everywhere, bringing back memories both fond and painful. It had been so long that Arthur could only somewhat recall his parents’ faces in full detail without a photograph to help, so to see them in vivid color, all in front of him… it really was something.

“I wish Gil could’ve met them…” He said, softly.

“I’m sure they’re happy for you, Arthur.”

Soon enough, Arthur had to take a break from the emotional demand that all of this left him with. This was his hometown—if he wandered down the street long enough, he’d find himself at his old school. He’d be at the corner store he always stopped in every day when the last bell rang. He’d be at places that were etched in his memory forever, and all of a sudden, he felt very homesick for New York… that, or maybe he was just homesick for the person he left behind there.

As he walked down the street, somewhat surprised not to be taken by the bustle of the city he was so used to, he texted Gilgamesh.

-A: How are things?

-G: Fine. Helping my mother clean up the post-Christmas mess. How are you?

-A: I don’t know, I’m fine I think?

-A: Just weird seeing all the old memories out in the open.

-G: I know what you mean, I haven’t even gone back into my old man’s room.

-A: Miss you.

-A: Have you decided what to do for New Years?

-G: I’m just waiting for you to come home so we can celebrate together.

-G: Your “contract” formally ends the moment the ball drops.

-G: It’s going to be exciting.

Right… truth be told, it had slipped Arthur’s mind while he was in England. That was when he could finally call himself ‘free’ from his old life.

-A: Just us, some champagne, and the dog.

-A: Can’t wait.

-G: Hang in there, Arthur.

-G: I know it’s late over there and you really should get in bed.

-G: So dream of me.

-A: I’m not even home! I’m walking around town! But… sure, I’ll be sure to do that.

As the lamplights started to flicker on, Arthur made the long trek back home, passing old houses where people who certainly didn’t live there anymore used to live, neighbors he could still remember the names and faces of, if only barely. This wasn’t his home anymore, now almost foreign in memory despite his childhood planting its roots firmly here. As he reread Gilgamesh’s last text to him before approaching Artoria’s new house, he wondered if he’d ever bring him back here and share those memories with him.

He felt like everything, from here on out, needed to be _new_.

\--

With New Year's Eve came the flooding of invites to their phones and mailbox. All sorts of extravagant house parties with celebrities and rich old friends of Gilgamesh’s. Each one was declined in favor of a small gathering at home.

As they walked Cavall through the streets of New York, Arthur thought back to when he’d made good on his promise of Christmas ribbons and nothing else to Gilgamesh. Fun times, even if it was a pain to untangle himself out of them and they had to end up getting scissors yet again. Gilgamesh showed him his phone for a brief moment—Siduri had taken a picture of her next to a handsome, sculpted young man and was giving a peace sign, truly living her best life.

They would stop by the twin’s party for a little bit at their apartment in Soho, apparently having a pro wrestler as a guest. The famous Quetzalcoatl was in there the moment they arrived, demonstrating a head-lock on Kingu, who was not having it, before cheerfully greeting them. They toasted one another to the new year, sat down for a long chat as Arthur mostly listened on. He didn’t know the twins too well yet, but Quetzalcoatl was full of stories about her job and frequently called herself big sis—she didn’t let them leave until they all had exchanged phone numbers so she could invite them to her next match. She was currently the woman’s wrestling lead champion, swiping her phone and showing them pictures of her holding aloft her belt over a woman with blonde and teal hair.

After that, they walked their way back home, taking a cab for part of it as Cavall crammed in after them, now a massive mound of fluff compared to his youthful puppy days.

Now for the main event.

Their Christmas tree was long since taken down, only fairy lights remained strung up around the apartment, twinkling in ivory-golden light as the sun had long since set. As soon as Arthur had hung up his coat on the coatrack, Gilgamesh was already upon him, raking his teeth across his lower lip as he kissed him, Arthur taking the hint well.

One hand distractedly turned on the television so they could keep track of when the ball would drop as Gilgamesh climbed over him on the sofa, grinding his hips against his as if he were going to get his money’s worth for the last time Arthur would be indebted to him, and Arthur could only happily comply.

As Gilgamesh hurriedly unbuttoned Arthur’s shirt, they could hear Cavall scampering to the other room, now trained as to give them their privacy. To see Arthur look up at him with such loving, trusting eyes… it got Gil’s engine going_ fast_, already feeling pent up since Arthur’s trip to England had left him without for a few days—had it really only been that? God, now he was needy for Arthur in a way he wasn’t sure if he _liked_ (okay, he liked it, but he wasn’t happy about it). Arthur had become such a staple in his life, one would think he was part and parcel with the air he breathed, the water he drank. He’d never been so in love, even after such a rocky road.

Arthur could only return his enthusiasm and affection, knowing by now that he belonged to him regardless of what his contract said, in spite of what it said. He wanted to give everything to a man who already had it all, who had forgiven him and loved him and needed him at his weakest. As Arthur drew him in for another kiss, hand sliding down his back to squeeze him, their cold hands from being outside for so long warmed up with one another’s bodies, adding to the thrill of bare skin against their cold fingertips.

Gilgamesh sat up and pulled his own shirt over his head, discarding it as he fought with the buckle on Arthur’s belt, metal clinking as he unbuckled it and pulled it down, roughly feeling him up. Arthur was so _good_, so well built, so perfectly made for him. He made Arthur scoot up the front of the couch and whispered that he wanted to get him ready.

One hand on his cock, Gilgamesh laid back so that his chest was flush against the couch cushions, his head between Arthur’s legs as he put all of his lessons to work. Licking the crown of his cock, his hand wrapped neatly around the base and began to pump the shaft, working from his strengths rather than his weaknesses, rubbing the tip of his tongue against the head and letting his drool wet the surrounding area, to make the descent of his mouth a bit easier.

Arthur moaned as he grasped Gil’s bangs, urging him to go a little deeper, a little faster, but Gilgamesh wouldn’t be moved. He took his time teasing Arthur, tilting his head to take him in just a little further as his hand covered the rest of him. His tongue _lapped_ at him, like a cat drinking water, and the sensation was toe-curling. He could feel himself harden to his full length just from that alone.

“G- Gil… that’s enough…”

“Are you sure?”

“Let’s save it for the main event.”

Shrugging, Gilgamesh sat up, hooking his thumbs into his belt loops and tugging off his pants. He let Arthur do the work this time, pulling himself up by Gilgamesh’s hips and pouring warming lube between his fingers as he worked his way in to familiar territory, knowing just the right way to stretch his fingers, a way to arc them he’d learned in a magazine one time to hit that special spot. He loved watching Gilgamesh writhe beneath his grasp, to his hips shaking beneath his touch until he said ‘enough! Enough’, and straddled Arthur’s hips.

He’d been waiting for this, he really had as he sunk his hips down to connect with Arthur’s, his stiff cock filling him whole. For a moment, Gilgamesh just sat like that, head tilted back as a groan fell from his lips, taunting Arthur by not moving and adjusting to the full size of him before his hips began to bounce. His hands pressed firmly onto his torso, he held Arthur down as he rode him, goading him into bucking up before slamming his hips down on him, over and over, taking all of it like a pro.

Arthur could only yield to his advances, able to tell he really needed this control, savoring this one, last moment before it all ended and a new something began. He could recall the first time Gilgamesh made him wear that Royal Icing, wondering what went through his mind as he had no clue what Gilgamesh knew then. Gripping the side of the leather sofa, Arthur panted, doing his best to give Gil the ride of his life while Gil was absolutely content to get there on his own.

“Your face… your everything… it’s so remarkable, Arthur…” He keened in delight, uncaring of the clock’s timing, not paying any attention to the television at all.

“You’re the remarkable one,” Arthur’s voice was weak as he responded, but only because Gilgamesh was working so hard to make him that way, his head was _swimming_, his mouth gone dry.

“There’s room enough in the world for two remarkable men, Arthur—” He glanced at the TV—fifteen minutes until the ball dropped. It only spurred him into going faster, feeling the click of his hips as he got the exercise of his life pounding down onto him, goading him into coming, only to come first himself, spilling seed across Arthur’s chest and doubling down on top of him. Arthur took the reins then, grasping his ass and thrusting upward into him until he came, panting softly as Gilgamesh regained his breath and lifted himself off once he felt Arthur finish.

Completely in the nude, cum running down his leg, he waltzed over to the kitchen island, where a bottle of champagne rested in ice and two glasses sat. Popping the cork and pouring one for each of them, Arthur sat up and took the champagne flute from Gilgamesh as he pulled down a blanket that sat on top of the couch for Gil to sit on as to not make a mess.

The countdown was just seconds away from beginning.

As the television host began, “10, 9, 8…”

The two looked at each other coyly, clinking their glasses together as it continued-- “7, 6, 5…”

\--The roar of the crowd on TV chiming in as a whole, “4, 3, 2…”

And at one, they both leaned in for a kiss at the same time, to the backdrop of the TV ringing in the new decade, 2020. Arthur was free to do whatever he wished now, and his first action to set the stage for the new year was to kiss Gilgamesh back something fierce before taking a sip of his champagne, before placing a hand on his chest and pushing him back against the sofa for a little more love.

* * *

**The End.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we're done! Thanks so much for reading, you guys are amazing. I'm so glad I had so many dedicated people following this. Once more, thanks to my Discord server for the constant, loving inspiration and their support. I'm so glad to have written this fic for y'all.


	33. epilogue

Gilgamesh was surprised he hadn’t gone grey by age 30, what with how overbearing his job could be, but he was grateful to keep his youthful good looks over the years.

They had just celebrated his birthday a while back and were now coming up upon their anniversary—which they mutually decided would be January 1st, the day Arthur was completely free of his debt. Sure, they started dating a little earlier, but the new year was when it felt like it really began.

Gilgamesh adored him, plainly and simply, and his love hadn’t waned throughout the years. Sure, they’d become more comfortable and domestic and bought a house together, moving out of their apartment full of memories for someone else to fill, but the cozy feeling never left. Cavall II was almost six years old, and Gilgamesh had grown to appreciate the puppy as the first sign he’d ever let slip to Arthur that he had a crush on him. You only bought someone a puppy if you really liked them, and Gilgamesh meant _really_.

One of these days, he’d have to ask Arthur to marry him, and it needed to be soon.

He’d picked out the ring already, it was just the question of when to do it.

Arthur was working at the museum full time now as a director, having ascended from his intern status to a staple member of the staff. Frequent dates between the two of them involved wandering exhibits closed to the public, before their opening. Between the two of them was such a love of history that Gilgamesh had invested plenty in the museum, both for Arthur’s sake and for the sake of pursuing knowledge. It was their favorite place to hang out, so Gilgamesh picked it as a good spot to ask Arthur the big question.

Some things bothered him, though. What did Arthur want out of a marriage? Kids? Arthur had never breathed a word about children since they started dating, so he assumed it’d be nothing like that. Really, they wouldn’t be changing their lives much. They just knew they had to wait a while after the drama that was their first year of knowing one another to really see what the other was like and get used to it before the time was right for wedding bells. Gilgamesh had honestly thought of marriage ever since January, 2020. He might have been a romantic, or he might just have been eager to stake his claim. Both were certainly possible.

Gilgamesh leaned back in his office chair, thinking fondly of the times they’d spent in this office together, what a sweet boyfriend Arthur had been, how gracefully he took to the spotlight. Their painful past had set a stage for a glorious future, and he wasn’t going to squander it.

When he got off work, he swung by the museum. Arthur looked eager to see him, kissing both corners of his lips as he welcomed him in. It was just after closing hours, and they had the entire museum to themselves.

The Babylonian exhibit was their pride and joy. It had been funded by Babylonia Enterprises as a way to give back to the community while also proudly displaying their namesake. Several antique treasures were on display, and Gilgamesh got to look through them, even touch them as he pleased. As he and Arthur chatted about their day, he got antsy with the ring in his pocket. He tried looking over the exhibit for a good place to ask him. Arthur didn’t want any of this to be in the spotlight, so privacy was key. Now was better than ever.

“Arthur…”

“Will you look at the wedding garb exhibit with me? I think it’s pretty interesting.”

…! Perfect! That would be the best place to propose to Arthur. In front of something filled with relics of marriage from the past, proving just how eternal he aimed to make this.

As they approached the glass case, he was ready to get down on one knee when Arthur took a key out of his pocket. He watched curiously as he slid the glass case open and peered inside.

Everything seemed in place, but for one thing.

A velvet-lined box that didn’t fit any era but their own. Arthur retrieved it like it was nothing, the symbolism of taking something like that from a room of treasures was not lost on Gil.

“Gil,” He began. “You’ve made me so happy. You saved _my life_. I wouldn’t want to live any other life but the one I have now, with you. Would—”

Gilgamesh put a finger to his lips. He would not be upstaged. Outdone. Even as happy as it made him. He was the one who humbled himself by getting down on one knee, pulling the ring from his pocket.

“Let me ask my question first.”

Arthur didn’t speak, covering his face to hide his blush, holding the velvet box in his other hand.

“Arthur… from your humble origins to where you are at this moment, I feel we have transformed one another. If I am to be reborn again, surely it’ll be by your side. If we’ve done this in a past life, it is only natural we do it again. Maybe a long time ago, we wore the jewelry that surrounds us here and celebrated a lifetime together. Honor me by doing it again.”

Arthur said nothing at first, before extending his hand. Gilgamesh took it as permission and slipped the ring on his finger.

“—Now, whatever trivial question you were going to ask me, feel free.”

Arthur couldn’t help but laugh, trying to stifle the tears running down his cheek as he took Gilgamesh into his arms, squeezing tightly. Gilgamesh just laughed haughtily, pleased with himself for beating Arthur to the punch, but there was emotion in his voice as well.

“Come on, Arthur, spit it out.”

“Asking you to marry me doesn’t sound so glamorous compared to your words…”

“Do it anyway. I deserve a proposal just like you.”

Arthur closed his eyes, holding him tighter. “Marry me, Gil.”

“Of course.”

\--

It was twenty-four hours until he’d be married, and Arthur couldn’t settle his nerves one bit.

Gilgamesh was staying with his friends, thinking that they should at least hold to some traditions—not seeing one another before the wedding being one of them. The rehearsal went smoothly, everything was in place, except for the teensy bit where Arthur was certain something was going to go horribly wrong.

He kept checking for the ring in his pocket, looking over his tailored white suit for any imperfections, calling the companies in charge of catering over and over to make sure that yes, everything was on for tomorrow. Gilgamesh accepted nothing less than perfect, and Arthur felt the pressure to make it so. Gil’s mother was paying for the ceremony as a wedding gift, but Arthur still felt compelled to make sure everything went right.

“You’re worrying too much,” Artoria tugged on his arm gently. “You’ll wear yourself out before the wedding.”

“Well—” He swallowed, setting down his phone and fiddling with the ring in his pocket. “It has to be perfect. If I let him down, I—”

“You’re both adults. You can handle it.”

The honeymoon after was going to be a private cruise on a small ship just for the two of them, docking in ports around the world as they traveled. The captain was a trusted friend, one Francis Drake, who was certain to steer them to the best places while giving them all the privacy they needed. Everything for the past six months had been planned down to the letter. Arthur just had to wait, now. There was nothing more he could do.

And yet…

While Gilgamesh had a famously huge bachelor party, Arthur had opted for a small gathering with friends from work. By now, a few close work friends had learned of Arthur’s ‘history’ and supported him regardless. It had been nerve-wracking telling Jekyll the truth, knowing that his history could be sold to tabloids for big money, but Jekyll had promised to keep his secret. He’d spent most of that evening scrolling Instagram as Gilgamesh posted drunk selfies with his best friends in trashy matching shirts, trying to hold back his laughter as he managed a conversation.

Now that all of that celebrating was over, it was time for the real party. Looking at the clock, he decided to kickstart spending several restless hours in bed early by telling Arturia he was sleepy. Of course, he wasn’t—and even if he was, he doubted he’d be able to anyway. Gilgamesh’s presence was a comfort he didn’t know he needed until it was gone for the evening.

Without thinking, he decided to text him.

-**A**: How’s it going?

-**G**: Excellently. I take it you’re nervous?

-**A**: Of course! I must have annoyed the caterers with all of my questions…

-**G**: You’re adorable

-**G**: It’ll be done soon. There’s no need to worry. Try and get some rest?

-**G**: I’ll be looking forward to seeing you tomorrow, walking down the aisle.

-**A**: Pray that I don’t trip.

-**G**: Please. You’ll summon the prince one last time to make it all perfect.

-**A**: The prince has been gone for a long time now. You’ll have to settle for me.

-**G**: I wouldn’t settle for anything else.

-**G**: Did you just want to talk to me?

-**A**: Yeah… I kind of wish you were here.

-**G**: That’s the point, isn’t it? A little distance before the wedding will make the heart grow fonder.

-**G**: Then I can have you all to myself on our boat.

-**G**: You won’t be sleeping for a couple of days, so I’d get your rest now.

-**A**: That intense?

-**G**: Naturally.

-**G**: Dream of me, Arthur.

-**A**: Love you too. Goodnight

Arthur rolled over in bed, patting the space next to him so that Cavall II would jump up. Cavall nosed his way into Arthur’s arms, leaving Arthur to drift off, but not before checking his alarm twice to make sure it was set. Not that Artoria would ever let him be late for his own wedding.

\--

As much as Arthur tried to insert himself into organizing things the moment he got up, everyone was determined to make sure he thought of one thing and one thing only: getting married that day, which was sweet of them, but without something to keep him occupied until noon that day, he was absolutely on edge, heart thundering in his chest. When it came time for him to get into his suit, he almost tripped.

Somehow, a moment of chill washed over him when the limousine pulled up to the house as Artoria gave him one last look-over and gave him a thumbs up. This would be the drive to his wedding. His! Wedding!

The venue was an outdoor park upstate, rented out entirely for the day for them. That meant nowhere to hide once he got out of the car, Gil would immediately look for him. They’d meet eyes, they’d…

The car came to a stop.

“What’s wrong?” Arthur asked.

“Uh…” The driver turned the key in the ignition a couple of times, getting more and more worried by the second. “Don’t worry, we’ll call someone to come pick you up—”

“Wh-- My wedding is in fifteen minutes!”

“I’m so sorry, Mr. Pendragon, we’ll get this fixed right awa—”

Arthur slammed the car door shut as he got out.

“Mr. Pendragon, Mr. Pendragon--!”

“Arthur--!” Artoria cried out as she got out of the car to chase him.

He couldn’t be late for his own wedding! The thought of leaving Gil up there to wonder where he was, if he’d left him at the altar was too much. They were already at the entrance of the park, if he ran, he’d make it--!

Artoria hiked up her dress and ran after him, shouting that he’d forgotten his bouquet, carrying it in tow.

\--

Gilgamesh was the picture of calm.

At least, on the outside.

He stood at the altar in front of hundreds of seats filled with coworkers, acquaintances, and friends, glancing at his watch. The car should have been here any minute now, with Arthur emerging in all of his glory from the back seat, just like they’d rehearsed. He didn’t doubt Arthur, who wouldn’t leave him at the altar, who loved him too much to embarrass him like that, but it would have been a lie if he said he wasn’t worried. What if something had happened to him? What if there was an ill-fated car crash that left him widowed before he was married? You read stories like that in the news all the time.

The car wasn’t pulling up, but he heard panicked footsteps running through the grass a short distance away. He looked up, along with the rest of the crowd.

Arthur was running, no car in sight, with his sister running after him. What the hell…?

The two stopped short of the aisle, Artoria’s bridesmaid dress dirtied by the ground and Arthur’s smart white shoes now splattered with mud. As he regained his breath, Artoria passed him the slightly ruffled bouquet and he took it, letting her lead him to the altar, arm in arm. The music finally kicked in, and Gilgamesh put two and two together in his head.

He had to cover his lips to hide the smirk on his face as Arthur walked down the aisle with a bouquet of white and blue roses, slightly mussed up but as charming as ever, as if running had taken all of his nervous energy.

As Arthur stood across from him, he began to hurriedly whisper.

“I’m so sorry, the car—”

Gilgamesh couldn’t hold it back any longer. He laughed.

“You ran? _Just_ to get here?” He tittered.

“I could never let you think, even for a second, that I’d just left you up here,” Arthur answered sincerely. He could be such a loyal puppy sometimes, Gil had to stop himself from letting his laughter grow out of control.

“You’re a mess,” He whispered back, reaching up to straighten his hair.

“Sorry…”

The officiator looked between the two of them, as if asking for their permission to begin. The musicians had been repeating the same notes for a minute now, waiting for the ceremony to start.

Gilgamesh gave a nod, before fixating solely on Arthur.

\--

It was such a blur, Arthur almost forgot how it all went.

He just remembered staring into Gil’s eyes and reciting his vows from memory and listening with such rapt attention to Gil’s. He thought he would have to say a thousand apologies, but the sweetness of Arthur’s actions was not lost on Gil. Running all the way to his wedding, just so he wouldn’t doubt him… was so completely in line with the Arthur he knew he was marrying.

The reception was done and over with quickly, with everything going relatively smoothly. Ozymandias toasted the two of them, no one got embarrassingly drunk despite the open bar. Arthur had to comfort a crying Lip as she bawled into his jacket about how happy she was for the two of them. They wined and dined for the good majority of the evening, meeting friends and family alike and accepting their well-wishes. When it came time to depart on their honeymoon, the two waved to the crowd shortly after Arthur tossed his bouquet out to them.

It would be a few hours before they reached the docks and embarked, so they had all that time together in the limousine to do whatever they wanted.

It was nothing lascivious. Gil leaned his head on Arthur’s shoulder, wrapping his arm around his, holding his hand tightly. He said nothing and let the comfortable silence speak more than enough. Arthur leaned his head against his, before remembering—

“I haven’t properly apologized for being late.”

“You don’t need to, Arthur. It was cute, what you did.”

“Still…!”

“Did you get any sleep last night?”

Arthur paused, before nodding. “Some.”

“Good, because I’ll keep you awake tonight.”

It was already 2 AM, and this was Gilgamesh’s first time off in a while. Secretly, he betted on Gilgamesh falling asleep the moment they got to their cabin. Arthur could see city lights flickering by as they sped past them, golden and comfortable as a very light rainfall misted their window. The weather wasn’t going to get any worse than this, so they could expect relatively smooth sailing for their trip, literally. Arthur rubbed his thumb over Gilgamesh’s clasped hand.

“You were so calm,” Arthur spoke quietly. “At the ceremony, I mean. I feel like I must have looked so nervous.”

“I have nothing to be afraid of when it comes to you. What were you scared of, Arthur?”

“Messing up, mostly…”

“No doubts about tying the knot?”

“None.”

“Good. None here either.”

Arthur could feel his heart thumping in his chest. He was surprised to feel so young again, like he was still in his twenties, but a day like this could really bring it out of someone. There had been tough times, for certain. They had endured a lot together, but nothing resurfaced that was ever so bad as what happened in their first year. In truth, it made Arthur worry if the past would crop up again, ever. If his sordid history would be revealed, or something like that.

Worries like that, though, would come and go in his lifetime. He had someone on his side, now, someone who wouldn’t give up on him. There would be nothing to worry about as long as Gilgamesh was there for him. He hoped Gil felt the same way.

He gently touched Gil’s ring finger with the solid gold band on it, feeling the warm metal. Gilgamesh must have taken note of it because he simply held onto his hand a bit tighter.

“You are everything to me.”

There was something tender about the way Gilgamesh said it, like he was exposing a part of himself he often guarded, protected fiercely without letting anyone see. He was in a part of the world where you had to fight to stay on top, to stay relevant, to stay powerful, but Arthur was the one thing that would never change about his life. Arthur was his most precious treasure, a diamond born from unyielding pressure and pain. He would hold onto him so long as Arthur would have him, for the rest of their lives.

Arthur took in those words and responded in kind.

“You are my everything.”

Though Arthur couldn’t see it, Gilgamesh smiled to himself. The simple rearranging of the words took on new meaning, and it was such a subtle, simple shift that it couldn’t help but delight him. As he sat up proper to get a good look outside the window, wondering if they were close to the coast, he pressed a soft kiss to Arthur’s cheek, giving Arthur the opportunity to steal a real kiss from him.

Neither had anything left to say. As they listened to old music on the radio and stayed close to one another, there was a subtle warmth that neither wanted to pull away from. A comfort that had brewed for the longest time, first in intimacy and then in romance. The road stretched long in front of them.

They threw caution to the wind and loved one another recklessly.

It was all they knew how to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Several months later, I deliver on the epilogue I originally promised!
> 
> Twitter is the same, http://twitter.com/gilthurst, follow me there! I hope you liked this utterly sappy ending.

**Author's Note:**

> We really out here doin' this, huh. Thank you to my discord server for the inspiration!
> 
> You can follow me on twitter at http://twitter.com/gilthurst if you want my reckless love for this ship on your timeline.


End file.
